Daphne

American  

[daf-nee] / ˈdæf ni /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a nymph who, when pursued by Apollo, was saved by being changed into a laurel tree.

2. (lowercase) any Eurasian shrub belonging to the genus Daphne, certain species of which, as D. mezereum, are cultivated for their fragrant flowers.

3. a female given name.

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Daphne ¹ British  

/ ˈdæfnɪ /

noun

1. Greek myth a nymph who was saved from the amorous attentions of Apollo by being changed into a laurel tree

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daphne ² British  

/ ˈdæfnɪ /

noun

1. any shrub of the Eurasian thymelaeaceous genus Daphne, such as the mezereon and spurge laurel: ornamentals with shiny evergreen leaves and clusters of small bell-shaped flowers See also laurel

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Etymology

Origin of Daphne

< Latin Daphnē < Greek dáphnē laurel

Example Sentences

The English actress, 30, was up for the role of Daphne Bridgerton, one of the protagonists in Season 1 of the period romance series.

From Los Angeles Times

Daphne du Maurier described seeing the old boatyard at Bodinnick, near Fowey, for the first time at the age of 19 as: "Here was the freedom I desired, long sought for, not yet known."

From BBC

The narrator of Daphne du Maurier’s lush saga begins at a disadvantage.

From The Wall Street Journal

Daphne du Maurier’s fiction revels in the mind’s ability to play tricks on itself.

From The Wall Street Journal

From Thomas Mann to Daphne du Maurier, Patricia Highsmith, Michael Dibdin and Donna Leon, novelists have been drawn to the watery labyrinth where solid ground routinely crumbles and where certainty—even identity itself—might dissolve.

From The Wall Street Journal