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• Daphne
  Daphne

  noun

  a nymph who, when pursued by Apollo, was saved by being changed into a laurel tree.
• daphne
  daphne

  noun

  any shrub of the Eurasian thymelaeaceous genus Daphne, such as the mezereon and spurge laurel: ornamentals with shiny evergreen leaves and clusters of small bell-shaped flowers See also laurel

Daphne

American  

[daf-nee] / ˈdæf ni /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a nymph who, when pursued by Apollo, was saved by being changed into a laurel tree.

2. (lowercase) any Eurasian shrub belonging to the genus Daphne, certain species of which, as D. mezereum, are cultivated for their fragrant flowers.

3. a female given name.

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Daphne ¹ British  

/ ˈdæfnɪ /

noun

1. Greek myth a nymph who was saved from the amorous attentions of Apollo by being changed into a laurel tree

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daphne ² British  

/ ˈdæfnɪ /

noun

1. any shrub of the Eurasian thymelaeaceous genus Daphne, such as the mezereon and spurge laurel: ornamentals with shiny evergreen leaves and clusters of small bell-shaped flowers See also laurel

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Etymology

Origin of Daphne

< Latin Daphnē < Greek dáphnē laurel

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Daphne daphne

A Maltese businessman on trial over the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has been acquitted.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

A Maltese court on Wednesday acquitted tycoon Yorgen Fenech of orchestrating the car-bomb killing of investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia, sparking outrage from her family and media freedom advocates.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

Rosemary and Peter Grant, a married pair of evolutionary biologists who studied songbirds on Daphne Major, a small volcanic island in the Galápagos archipelago, are the subjects of Jonathan Weiner’s “The Beak of the Finch.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The lawsuit was filed by Daphne Hawkins on behalf of two of her children who attended Mariposa Elementary School.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Like most monumental sculpture, Apollo and Daphne was intended for a specific location.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

So even though the daphne looks sad right now, don’t remove the damaged leaves.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2022

At that time, the daphne hadn’t yet extended its roots into the surrounding soil, so it was unable to remain fully hydrated.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2022

Q: My daphne is sad, but I’m not sure why.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2022

No garden should be without hellebores or a daphne or two, winterberry hollies and witch hazels.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 19, 2019

When my mother came across an unusual one, she would give an “Oh” of joy and tell me its name: daphne, wild heliotrope, pink orchid.

From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz