laurel

¹

[lawr-uhl, lor-]

noun

1. Also called bay, sweet bay. a small European evergreen tree, Laurus nobilis, of the laurel family, having dark, glossy green leaves.

2. any tree of the genus Laurus.

3. any of various similar trees or shrubs, as the mountain laurel or the great rhododendron.

4. the foliage of the laurel as an emblem of victory or distinction.

5. a branch or wreath of laurel foliage.

6. Usually laurels. honor won, as for achievement in a field or activity.

   Synonyms: praise, renown, fame, glory

verb (used with object)

laureled, laureling , laurelled, laurelling .

1. to adorn or wreathe with laurel.

2. to honor with marks of distinction.

Laurel

²

[lawr-uhl, lor-]

noun

1. Stan Arthur Stanley Jefferson, 1890–1965, U.S. motion-picture actor and comedian, born in England.

2. a city in SE Mississippi.

3. a town in central Maryland.

4. a female given name.

laurel

/ ˈlɒrəl /

noun

1. Also called: bay.  true laurel. any lauraceous tree of the genus Laurus , such as the bay tree (see bay4 ) and L. canariensis , of the Canary Islands and Azores

2. any lauraceous plant

3. short for cherry laurel mountain laurel

4. a European thymelaeaceous evergreen shrub, Daphne laureola, with glossy leaves and small green flowers

5. an evergreen cornaceous shrub, Aucuba japonica, of S and SE Asia, the female of which has yellow-spotted leaves

6. (plural) a wreath of true laurel, worn on the head as an emblem of victory or honour in classical times

7. (plural) honour, distinction, or fame

8. to be on guard against one's rivals

9. to be satisfied with distinction won by past achievements and cease to strive for further achievements

verb

1. (tr) to crown with laurels

Other Word Forms

• unlaureled adjective
• unlaurelled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of laurel¹

1250–1300; dissimilated variant of Middle English laurer, earlier lorer < Anglo-French; Old French lorier bay tree, equivalent to lor bay, laurel (< Latin laurus ) + -ier -ier ²; -er ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of laurel¹

C13 lorer, from Old French lorier laurel tree, ultimately from Latin laurus

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. 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.

2. 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.

see look to one's laurels; rest on one's laurels.

Example Sentences

Companies that rest on their laurels and fail to adapt to the times—think Kodak or Blockbuster—don’t survive.

Read more on Barron's

One could scarcely see past all the crowns, roses, shamrocks, halos, piles of gold, angel wings, laurel leaves, roaring lions—the list went on and on.

Read more on Literature

Supporters of marriage equality should refrain from resting on their laurels and mobilize to resist MAGA’s ongoing campaign to take away another right from the American people.

Read more on Salon

Michelle O'Neill attended the event and laid a laurel wreath at the Cenotaph at Belfast City Hall in her role as first minister for the second year in a row.

Read more on BBC

“They can’t sit on their laurels and say, ‘well surely the Latinos are coming back because the economy is bad and immigration enforcement is bad,’” Jones said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What does laurel mean?

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 person’s head to symbolize victory—like 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 I’m most proud of my beautiful family.