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.

---

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

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of Daphne

< Latin Daphnē < Greek dáphnē laurel

Example Sentences

Ursula has shades of Gellar’s famous characters — Buffy’s physical ferocity, Kathryn Merteuil’s ruthless cattiness, Daphne Blake’s affinity for mysterious games — but doesn’t play to one exclusively.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

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 • Feb. 14, 2026

Cleverly cast brother and sister Lupita Nyong’o and Junior Nyong’o play castaway twins Viola and Sebastian, with Peter Dinklage, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sandra Oh and Daphne Rubin-Vega among other well-known actors rounding out the cast.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025

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 • Oct. 9, 2025

Now that Char has finally stole Worm away from Daphne, she don’t even want him no more.

From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake