garland

¹

[ gahr-luhnd ]

noun

1. a wreath or festoon of flowers, leaves, or other material, worn for ornament or as an honor or hung on something as a decoration:

   A garland of laurel was placed on the winner's head.

2. a representation of such a wreath or festoon.
3. a collection of short literary pieces, as poems and ballads; literary miscellany.
4. Nautical. a band, collar, or grommet, as of rope.

verb (used with object)

1. to crown with a garland; deck with garlands.

Garland

²

[ gahr-luhnd ]

noun

1. Ham·lin [ham, -lin], 1860–1940, U.S. novelist, short-story writer, and poet.
2. Judy Frances Gumm, 1922–69, U.S. singer and actress.
3. a city in NE Texas, near Dallas.
4. a male or female given name.

Garland

¹

/ ˈɡɑːlənd /

noun

1. GarlandJudy19221969FUSMUSIC: singerFILMS AND TV: actress Judy, real name Frances Gumm. 1922–69, US singer and film actress. Already a child star, she achieved international fame with The Wizard of Oz (1939). Later films included Meet Me in St Louis (1944) and A Star is Born (1954)

garland

²

/ ˈɡɑːlənd /

noun

1. a wreath or festoon of flowers, leaves, etc, worn round the head or neck or hung up
2. a representation of such a wreath, as in painting, sculpture, etc
3. a collection of short literary pieces, such as ballads or poems; miscellany or anthology
4. nautical a ring or grommet of rope

verb

1. tr to deck or adorn with a garland or garlands

Other Words From

• garland·less adjective
• garland·like adjective
• un·garland verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of garland¹

1275–1325; Middle English ger ( e ) lande, garlande < Old French < ?

Word History and Origins

Origin of garland¹

C14: from Old French garlande, perhaps of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

Looking elegantly windblown in a sweater, her mass of hair cascading like the precious garland of some Irish deity, Farrow has a tendency to trail off in conversation.

From Los Angeles Times

Any trip planners must look at traditional dancers and garlands and start having nightmares about how it might come across.

From BBC

Autumn brings clay lamps and marigold garlands to the marketplaces of Delhi as people prepare for Diwali, the Festival of Lights.

From Salon

Yet this long, obscure miscellany turned out to be a garland of little gems.

From Los Angeles Times

It has a gold trim and, under the light, you can catch a glimpse of an intricate garland pattern.

From BBC

Related Words

• wreath