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• laurence
  laurence

  noun

  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.
• Laurence
  Laurence

  noun

  a male given name, form of Lawrence.

laurence

¹ American  

[lawr-uhns, lor-] / ˈlɔr əns, ˈlɒr- /

noun

1. 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.

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Laurence ² American  

[lawr-uhns, lor-] / ˈlɔr əns, ˈlɒr- /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Lawrence.

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Laurence British  

/ ˈlɒrəns /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of laurence

First recorded in 1790–1800; origin unknown

Example Sentences

David Lean and Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson … a lot of the films they were in or directed really helped shape who I am today.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

The Louvre heist sent shockwaves around the world and sparked a security crisis within the world-famous museum that ultimately led to the replacement of its director, Laurence des Cars.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

“He really was very good at being thoughtful and careful and not particularly conspicuous,” said Laurence Tribe, who taught Roberts constitutional law at Harvard.

From Slate • May 7, 2026

In 1858, Rep. Galusha Grow of Pennsylvania knocked down Brooks’s friend Laurence Keitt of South Carolina, prompting a melee that drew in some 30 members of the House.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

I was going to lose her, just like I’d lost Judy to that awful Robert Laurence.

From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine