laurence

[ lawr-uh ns, lor- ]

/ ˈlɔr əns, ˈlɒr- /

noun

Physics. a shimmering effect seen over a hot surface, such as a pavement or roadway, on a clear and calm day, caused by the irregular refraction of light.Compare scintillation(def 4).

Nearby words

laurel cherry, laurel family, laurel oak, lauren, laurena, laurence, laurence-moon syndrome, laurence-moon-bardet-biedl syndrome, laurencin, laurencin, marie, laurens

Origin of laurence

First recorded in 1790–1800; of unexplained orig.

Definition for laurence (2 of 2)

Laurence

[ lawr-uh ns, lor- ]

/ ˈlɔr əns, ˈlɒr- /

noun

a male given name, form of Lawrence.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for laurence

Laurence Fishburne is the titular character in the 1995 film of Othello.
Shakespeare’s Movie Magic|Marina Watts, Malcolm Jones|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Somewhere in the Afterlife, Laurence Sterne must have been tickled to see his fiendish book infused with new life.
Crazy Cartography: Artists and Writers Conjure a Slew of Imaginative Maps|Lauren Elkin|April 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My editor, the renowned Laurence Gandar, called me to his office to be questioned.
Mandela, My Source: One Journalist’s Memory of Clandestine Meetings|Benjamin Pogrund|December 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Laurence and I are very lucky in that we get on well and the chemistry seems to work.
Meet ‘Inspector Lewis’: Kevin Whately on ‘Morse,’ John Thaw, and the End of the Series|Jace Lacob|June 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST

He's a live wire, Laurence: very, very intelligent and he can keep a whole unit bubbling along.
Meet ‘Inspector Lewis’: Kevin Whately on ‘Morse,’ John Thaw, and the End of the Series|Jace Lacob|June 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
His brother Laurence—wasted—all through women—atrophy of willpower!
Five Tales|John Galsworthy
He held Laurence's gaze with a passionate expression of understanding which to Laurence was peculiarly offensive and disturbing.
Narcissus|Evelyn Scott
Laurence at first thought to affect ignorance of the language, of which, indeed, he possessed considerable knowledge.
The Sign of the Spider|Bertram Mitford
Laurence Sterne, sa personne et ses ouvrages tude prcde dun fragment indit de Sterne.
Laurence Sterne in Germany|Harvey Waterman Thayer
"Not in the least," Margaret answered, while Laurence waved his riding-cap gayly in the air.
Sybil Chase|Ann S. Stephens

British Dictionary definitions for laurence

Laurence

/ (ˈlɒrəns) /

noun

Margaret, full name Jean Margaret Laurence, 1926–87, Canadian novelist and short story writer; her novels include The Stone Angel (1964)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for laurence

Laurence

masc. proper name, from Old French Lorenz (French Laurent), from Latin Laurentius, literally "of Laurentum," a maritime town in Latium, literally "town of bay trees," from laurus (see laurel). The Italian form is Lorenzo. A popular given name in the Middle Ages, as a surname it is attested in England from mid-12c. Larkin is a pet-form. For some reason, the name since at least 18c. has been the personification of indolence (cf. also German der faule Lenz "Lazy Lawrence"). But in Scotland, the pet form Lowrie has been used for "a fox" (c.1500), also for "a crafty person" (1560s).