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laurel
1[lawr-uhl, lor-]
noun
Also called bay, sweet bay.Ģża small European evergreen tree, Laurus nobilis, of the laurel family, having dark, glossy green leaves.
any tree of the genus Laurus.
any of various similar trees or shrubs, as the mountain laurel or the great rhododendron.
the foliage of the laurel as an emblem of victory or distinction.
a branch or wreath of laurel foliage.
Usually laurels. honor won, as for achievement in a field or activity.
Synonyms: , , ,
verb (used with object)
to adorn or wreathe with laurel.
to honor with marks of distinction.
Laurel
2[lawr-uhl, lor-]
noun
Stan Arthur Stanley Jefferson, 1890ā1965, U.S. motion-picture actor and comedian, born in England.
a city in SE Mississippi.
a town in central Maryland.
a female given name.
laurel
/ Ė±ōÉ°łÉ±ō /
noun
Also called: bay.Ģż true laurel.Ģżany lauraceous tree of the genus Laurus , such as the bay tree (see bay4 ) and L. canariensis , of the Canary Islands and Azores
any lauraceous plant
short for cherry laurel mountain laurel
a European thymelaeaceous evergreen shrub, Daphne laureola, with glossy leaves and small green flowers
an evergreen cornaceous shrub, Aucuba japonica, of S and SE Asia, the female of which has yellow-spotted leaves
(plural) a wreath of true laurel, worn on the head as an emblem of victory or honour in classical times
(plural) honour, distinction, or fame
to be on guard against one's rivals
to be satisfied with distinction won by past achievements and cease to strive for further achievements
verb
(tr) to crown with laurels
Other 51³Ō¹Ļ Forms
- unlaureled adjective
- unlaurelled adjective
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of laurel1
Idioms and Phrases
rest on one's laurels, to be content with one's past or present honors, achievements, etc..
He retired at the peak of his career and is resting on his laurels.
look to one's laurels, to be alert to the possibility of being excelled or surpassed.
New developments in the industry are forcing long-established firms to look to their laurels.
Example Sentences
"It's a family where you don't rest on your laurels. His success is brilliant, but brief, and you have to keep working hard."
It's important not to rest on your laurels because "if we don't keep up momentum, the status quo might close in on itself again", she said.
They really didnāt sit on their laurels from the first yearās success ā they took a lot more chances in the second year.ā
Jesse Armstrong, one of the UK's most successful screenwriters, is not one to rest on his laurels.
Stepping away into the L.A. mountains, youāll be greeted with a sound bath from crickets and birds as the smell of pine, sage and bay laurel fills your nostrils.
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When To Use
A laurel is a type of tree with dark, glossy green leaves. In Ancient Greece and Rome, laurel leaves were used to make wreaths that were worn on a personās head to symbolize victoryālike that leaf crown that Caesar is always wearing in statues. Today, we use the word laurels to mean honors.When used this way, it is almost always plural.Example: After a 50-year career, I have many laurels, but Iām most proud of my beautiful family.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American HeritageĀ® Idioms Dictionary copyright Ā© 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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