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laurence

1 American  
[lawr-uhns, lor-] / ˈlɔr əns, ˈlɒr- /

noun

  1. Physics. a shimmering effect seen over a hot surface, such as a pavement or roadway, on a clear and calm day, caused by the irregular refraction of light.

Laurence 2 American  
[lawr-uhns, lor-] / ˈlɔr əns, ˈlɒr- /

noun

  1. a male given name, form of Lawrence.

Laurence British  
/ ˈlɒrəns /

noun

  1. Margaret, full name Jean Margaret Laurence, 1926–87, Canadian novelist and short story writer; her novels include The Stone Angel (1964)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of laurence

First recorded in 1790–1800; origin unknown

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.