wreath
Americannoun
plural
wreaths-
a circular band of flowers, foliage, or any ornamental work, for adorning the head or for any decorative purpose; a garland or chaplet.
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any ringlike, curving, or curling mass or formation.
a wreath of clouds.
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(in stair building)
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a curved section of a handrail.
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Also called wreathpiece. a curved section of a string.
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verb (used with or without object)
noun
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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
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any circular or spiral band or formation
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a spiral or circular defect appearing in porcelain and glassware
Other Word Forms
- wreathless adjective
- wreathlike adjective
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
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Memorial Day Words
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"O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman
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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.
Truman, to the surprise of his hosts, placed a wreath on the monument.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026
The vegetable crudité wreath is then finished off with a store-bought tahini dip drizzled with honey.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2025
Bierbaum expects shoppers to snap up $6 animal-shaped sponges and taper candles that look like old-time light posts, decorated with a wreath and red bow.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 6, 2025
This mirrors a visit to Hamburg during the UK state visit to Germany, when King Charles laid a wreath remembering the civilian casualties of wartime Allied bombing raids.
From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025
He was wearing a wreath of lavender that Mama had woven through his collar.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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.
