Classical Mythology. a nymph who, when pursued by Apollo, was saved by being changed into a laurel tree.
(lowercase) any Eurasian shrub belonging to the genus Daphne, certain species of which, as D. mezereum, are cultivated for their fragrant flowers.
a female given name.
< Latin Daphnē < Greek dáphnē laurel
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rodriguez will wear the number 16 shirt and will compete for minutes with Daphne van Domselaar and Anneke Borbe, both of whom struggled with injuries last season.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
"This enabled us to get enough specific locality information to prepare a Fossil Record Form and to scientifically catalogue the fossil," Daphne says.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
By the time Abigail marries her third husband, mild-mannered Lucas, and the couple go on to have three sons, Daphne has grown a protective shell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
Like Daphne, Patchett is married to an older man — also a doctor — whom she adores.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
In February 2011, he invited Strayer and Gazzaley to join him, along with Anthony Wagner, a Stanford psychologist; Gary Small, a psychiatrist at UCLA; and Daphne Bavelier, a cognitive scientist at the University of Rochester.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
The porch is a great place to feature a plant: Some of Olander’s favorites include the fragrant daphne for some sensory romance, and an uplit Japanese maple to add drama.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 10, 2022
Even though the daphne was in light shade and received minimal direct sunlight, the excessive air temperatures could have been enough to damage the most exposed areas of the leaves.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2022
Gradually wean the daphne off of regular irrigation to its normal requirement of needing evenly moist soil, with a deep watering about every two to three weeks.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2022
No garden should be without hellebores or a daphne or two, winterberry hollies and witch hazels.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 19, 2019
When my mother came across an unusual one, she would give an “Oh” of joy and tell me its name: daphne, wild heliotrope, pink orchid.
From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
