Dictionary Definition
laurel
Noun
1 any of various aromatic trees of the laurel
family
2 United States slapstick comedian (born in
England) who played the scatterbrained and often tearful member of
the Laurel and Hardy duo who made many films (1890-1965) [syn:
Stan
Laurel,
Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel] [also: laurelling, laurelled]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
Old English lorel, laurer, lorer, Old French lorier, laurier, French laurier, (assumed) Late Latin Laurarius, from Latin laurus-
- Rhymes: -ɒrəl
Noun
laurel- An evergreen shrub, of the genus Laurus (L. nobilis),
having aromatic leaves of a lanceolate shape, with
clusters of small, yellowish white flowers in their axils; -- called also sweet bay.
The fruit is a purple berry. It is found about the Mediterranean,
and was early used by the ancient Greeks to crown the victor in the games of Apollo. At
a later period, academic honors were indicated by a crown
of laurel, with the fruit. The leaves and tree yield an aromatic oil, used to flavor
the bay water of commerce.
- Note: The name is extended to other plants which in some respect resemble the true laurel.
- A crown of laurel; hence, honor; distinction; fame; -- especially in the plural; as, to win laurels.
- An English gold coin made in 1619, and so called because the king's head on it was crowned with laurel
Derived terms
- laurel water - water distilled from the fresh leaves of the cherry laurel, and containing prussic acid and other products carried over in the process
- laurel wreath, worn on the head as a symbol of victory in ancient Greece and Rome
- American laurel, mountain laurel - Kalmia latifolia. See under mountain
- California laurel - Umbellularia californica
- cherry laurel - (in England called laurel). See under cherry
- great laurel - the rosebay (Rhododendron maximum)
- ground laurel - trailing arbutus
- New Zealand laurel - formerly referred to Laurelia novae-zelandiae in the family Monimiaceae, now refers to Corynocarpus laevigata in family Corynocarpaceae (different plants or different names?)
- Portugal laurel - the Prunus Lusitanica
- rose laurel - the oleander
- sheep laurel - a poisonous shrub, Kalmia angustifolia, smaller than the mountain laurel, and with smaller and redder flowers
- spurge laurel - Daphne Laureola
- West Indian laurel - Prunus occidentalis
- rest on one's laurels
Translations
An evergreen shrub, of the genus Laurus
A crown of laurel
- Catalan: corona
- Dutch: lauweren p
- Finnish: laakerikruunu (crown) laakeri (honor)
- French: laurier, couronne de laurier
- Italian: allori m|p
- Portuguese (Brazilian): coroa de louro
- Spanish: laureles, corona de laurel
- Swedish: lagerkrans
- Romanian: lauri, coroană de lauri
- Russian: лавровый венок (lávrovyj v'enók) , лавры (lávry) p
See also
Extensive Definition
Laurel may refer to:
Botany
Lauraceae, the
botanical laurel family, including:
- Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis), the original true laurel that is the source of bay leaves used as a seasoning
- California Laurel (Umbellularia californica), a related tree or large shrub
- Camphor Laurel (Cinnamomum camphora), a natural source of camphor
- True Cinnamon or Ceylon Cinnamon Cinnamomum verum, the inner bark of which is used as the spice cinnamon
Other unrelated plants:
- Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), an evergreen cherry, often called just laurel in gardens
- Great laurel (Rhododendron maximum), another shrub of the Appalachian mountains
- Indian laurel, certain species of fig trees or banyans
- New Zealand laurel (Corynocarpus laevigatus), former name for Karaka tree
- Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), an evergreen shrub of the eastern United States highlands
- Laurel sumac (Malosma laurina), an aromatic, evergreen shrub of the southern California and Baja California coastlands
- Portugal laurel (Prunus lusitanica), also an evergreen cherry
- Spotted laurel refers to variegated cultivars of the Aucuba Aucuba japonica
People
* A Laurel (LDS Church), a 16–18 year-old participant in the Young Women's program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- Laurel Aitken (1927–2005), nicknamed the "Godfather of Ska"
- Laurel Clark (1961–2003), astronaut and doctor who flew on the last flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia
- Laurel Holloman, actress* José P. Laurel (1891–1959), former President of the Philippines
- Stan Laurel (1890–1965), half of the comic duo of Laurel and Hardy
Places
In Costa Rica:In the Philippines:
In the United States:
- Laurel, Oakland, California
- Laurel, Delaware
- Laurel, Florida
- Laurel, Indiana
- Laurel, Iowa
- Laurel, Maryland
- Laurel, Mississippi
- Laurel, Montana
- Laurel, Nebraska
- Laurel, New York
- Laurel, North Carolina
- Laurel, Tennessee
- Laurel, Virginia
- Laurel County, Kentucky
- Laurelton, Queens, a neighborhood in New York City
Other
- Nissan Laurel, a mid-size luxury sedan
- Laurel (band), a Canadian rock band
- Laurel (English coin)
- Laurel Films, a Beijing independent film production company
- Laurel wreath
laurel in German: Laurel
laurel in Spanish: Laurel (desambiguación)
laurel in French: Laurier
laurel in Dutch: Laurel
laurel in Japanese: ローレル
laurel in Portuguese: Louro (planta)
laurel in Russian: Лавр
laurel in Slovak: Laurel
laurel in Volapük:
Laurel