laurel
Also called bay, sweet bay . a small European evergreen tree, Laurus nobilis, of the laurel family, having dark, glossy green leaves.: Compare laurel family.
any tree of the genus Laurus.
any of various similar trees or shrubs, as the mountain laurel or the great rhododendron.
the foliage of the laurel as an emblem of victory or distinction.
a branch or wreath of laurel foliage.
Usually laurels. honor won, as for achievement in a field or activity.
to adorn or wreathe with laurel.
to honor with marks of distinction.
Idioms about laurel
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.
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.
Origin of laurel
1Other words for laurel
Other words from laurel
- un·lau·reled, adjective
- un·lau·relled, adjective
Words Nearby laurel
Other definitions for Laurel (2 of 2)
Stan Arthur Stanley Jefferson, 1890–1965, U.S. motion-picture actor and comedian, born in England.
a city in SE Mississippi.
a town in central Maryland.
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use laurel in a sentence
From CEOs to journalists to politicians, this year’s class of Fortune’s 40 Under 40 is an incredible group of innovators who refuse to rest on their laurels.
The advice that helped this year’s 40 under 40 find their own path | kdunn6 | September 3, 2020 | FortuneThis is a time in history where companies cannot rest on their laurels or make empty promises when it comes to embracing and cultivating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
Deep Dive: How companies and their employees are facing the future of work | Digiday | September 1, 2020 | DigidayHe’s a mechanical engineer at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in laurel, Md.
Flying snakes wriggle their way through the air | Emily Conover | August 4, 2020 | Science News For StudentsFor the early stage DTC startups who are seeing higher-than-expected sales growth, they are not resting on their laurels either.
As headwinds emerge, DTC brands bet on early growth to carry them through the rest of the year | Anna Hensel | July 27, 2020 | DigidayThe Twins didn’t rest on their offseason laurels, adding the likes of Josh Donaldson, Kenta Maeda and Homer Bailey without losing too much of note.
Baseball Will Be Weird This Year. But The Astros And Yankees Are Favorites In The American League … Again. | Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com) | July 21, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
So when my wife and I moved to laurel Canyon I spent my first year working night and day on the show.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile | Robert Ward | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTDid McCarthy invent the portrayal of violence in fiction, or should that laurel go to Homer?
Compliments Are Nice, but Enough With the Cormac McCarthy Comparisons | William Giraldi | October 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIf Pat Roberts lived in Dodge City, why did he travel 1,400 miles out of his way to purchase his car in laurel, Maryland?
There's No Place Like Home For Kansas Senator Pat Roberts | Ben Jacobs | May 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut no laurel wreaths waited for Marina on the day of her victory.
Marina Rikhvanova’s Quest To Save Russia’s Lake Baikal | Anna Nemtsova | November 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTOne artist, Edgardo Aragón from Oaxaca, tries to capture that in an exhibition at the laurel Gitlen Gallery.
He went out into the garden, and the rustling of the laurel-bushes frightened him.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II | Rudyard KiplingBurn the male olive-branch and the pine twig and juniper, and let the blazing laurel crackle amid the hearth.
The Religion of Ancient Rome | Cyril BaileyThe composer was recalled fifteen times and presented with a laurel wreath.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky | Modeste TchaikovskyNothing was to be thought of but a frame for this—olive, bay, laurel, everything appropriate to the conqueror.
The Daisy Chain | Charlotte YongeThey could hear bird calling bird far within, among the myrtles and laurel hedges.
God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis
British Dictionary definitions for laurel
/ (ˈlɒrəl) /
Also called: bay, true laurel any lauraceous tree of the genus Laurus, such as the bay tree (see bay 4) and L. canariensis, of the Canary Islands and Azores
any lauraceous plant
short for cherry laurel, mountain laurel
spurge laurel a European thymelaeaceous evergreen shrub, Daphne laureola, with glossy leaves and small green flowers
spotted laurel or Japan laurel an evergreen cornaceous shrub, Aucuba japonica, of S and SE Asia, the female of which has yellow-spotted leaves
(plural) a wreath of true laurel, worn on the head as an emblem of victory or honour in classical times
(plural) honour, distinction, or fame
look to one's laurels to be on guard against one's rivals
rest on one's laurels to be satisfied with distinction won by past achievements and cease to strive for further achievements
(tr) to crown with laurels
Origin of laurel
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with laurel
see look to one's laurels; rest on one's laurels.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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