sweet bay

American  

noun

1. laurel.

2. an American magnolia, Magnolia virginiana, having large oblong leaves and fragrant, white flowers, common on the Atlantic coast.

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sweet bay British  

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: bay.  a small tree, Magnolia virginiana, of SE North America, having large fragrant white flowers: family Magnoliaceae (magnolias)

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Etymology

Origin of sweet bay

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sweet bay

A flatbed trailer was loaded with scores of potted native trees: Shumard oak, yellow poplar, persimmon, Eastern red cedar, sweet bay magnolia.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 26, 2021

Huge aloes grow in the shade, and the sweet bay and bushes of rosemary make the air fresh and fragrant.

From Views a-foot by Taylor, Bayard

The roads show sandy, and you see an occasional clump of sweet bay in the pastures.

From A Northern Countryside by Richards, Rosalind

Poison oak, sweet bay trees, calycanthus, brush, and chaparral, grew freely but sparsely all about it.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 2 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis

Let sauce cook, after adding a boquet of thyme, sweet bay, cloves, green onions and garlic.

From Stevenson Memorial Cook Book by Various