wreath
Americannoun
-
a circular band of flowers, foliage, or any ornamental work, for adorning the head or for any decorative purpose; a garland or chaplet.
-
any ringlike, curving, or curling mass or formation.
a wreath of clouds.
-
(in stair building)
-
a curved section of a handrail.
-
Also called wreathpiece. a curved section of a string.
-
verb (used with or without object)
noun
-
a band of flowers or foliage intertwined into a ring, usually placed on a grave as a memorial or worn on the head as a garland or a mark of honour
-
any circular or spiral band or formation
-
a spiral or circular defect appearing in porcelain and glassware
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wreath
before 1000; Middle English wrethe, Old English writha something wound or coiled; akin to writhe
Explanation
Got a wreath on your front door? That's one of those ring-shaped bands of flowers or foliage that people use for decoration. Wreaths go back to ancient times and maybe the circular shape symbolizes the eternal. You can also wear a wreath. If you feel like dancing around the maypole or celebrating your Olympic victory, you might wear a wreath of spring flowers or laurels on your head. You might also want to remember someone who's passed away by placing a wreath on their grave. Wreaths don’t have to be green — you can carve gold or wood into a wreath or you can even have a mountain peak with a wreath of clouds around it.
Vocabulary lists containing wreath
Joy To The Word: Christmas Terms
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Memorial Day Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Then they paid their respects at Arlington National Cemetery, where they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and a gun salute was fired.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
Charles and Camilla then visited Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington, where they laid a wreath and flowers at the hilltop Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honoring America's unidentified war dead.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
She laid a wreath during a service that concluded with the national anthems of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026
She wears a gold wreath, and has hairpins of both gold and silver.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
The year Mama died, the older girls let me make a wreath of flowers and candles with them.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
