garland

¹ American  

[gahr-luhnd] / ˈgɑr lənd /

noun

1. a wreath or festoon of flowers, leaves, or other material, worn for ornament or as an honor or hung on something as a decoration.

   A garland of laurel was placed on the winner's head.

2. a representation of such a wreath or festoon.

3. a collection of short literary pieces, as poems and ballads; literary miscellany.

4. Nautical. a band, collar, or grommet, as of rope.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to crown with a garland; deck with garlands.

Garland ² American  

[gahr-luhnd] / ˈgɑr lənd /

noun

1. Hamlin 1860–1940, U.S. novelist, short-story writer, and poet.

2. Judy Frances Gumm, 1922–69, U.S. singer and actress.

3. a city in NE Texas, near Dallas.

4. a male or female given name.

---

garland ¹ British  

/ ˈɡɑːlənd /

noun

1. a wreath or festoon of flowers, leaves, etc, worn round the head or neck or hung up

2. a representation of such a wreath, as in painting, sculpture, etc

3. a collection of short literary pieces, such as ballads or poems; miscellany or anthology

4. nautical a ring or grommet of rope

---

verb

1. (tr) to deck or adorn with a garland or garlands

Garland ² British  

/ ˈɡɑːlənd /

noun

1. Judy, real name Frances Gumm. 1922–69, US singer and film actress. Already a child star, she achieved international fame with The Wizard of Oz (1939). Later films included Meet Me in St Louis (1944) and A Star is Born (1954)

---

Other Word Forms

• garlandless adjective
• garlandlike adjective
• ungarland verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of garland

1275–1325; Middle English ger ( e ) lande, garlande < Old French < ?

Explanation

A garland is a circular arrangement of flowers, worn or hung for decoration. Think of the strings of pine and holly people hang at holiday time, or the ring of roses they put around the Kentucky Derby winner's neck. First recorded circa 1300, the word garland in the simplest terms means a circle of flowers or other greenery. Hawaiian leis are a type of garland, as are holiday wreaths and the little flower crowns that flower girls wear at weddings. If you want to get spiritual about garlands, you can refer back to this Buddha quote: "Fashion your life as a garland of beautiful deeds."

Example Sentences

“If you had a tree or some garland with 1,000 lights, it might have 800. Things will just get watered down, and so you will be paying the same, if not more, for less.”

From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026

This year, for the first time, Pons is also trying to create a more festive atmosphere inside the store with holiday decorations, such as a garland at the checkout desk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 6, 2025

When fall rolls around, they loop a simple garland of leaves around the bar—nothing fancy, just a whisper of the season.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2025

The image featured a smiling couple in formal attire under a clip art–style garland holding various baby-themed items, along with an email and phone number where I could reach them.

From Slate • Jul. 16, 2025

His pitiless and hate-filled eyes locked with mine as he threw the daisy garland to the floor and crushed it with his foot.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Related Words

• wreath