: any of a genus (Daphne) of Eurasian shrubs of the mezereon family with apetalous flowers whose colored calyx resembles a corolla
: a nymph in Greek mythology who is transformed into a laurel tree to escape the pursuing Apollo
Examples of daphne in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
oregonlive, 20 Feb. 2022
There are so many winter fragrant shrubs worth a look — and sniff
Deciduous, somewhat tropical looking daphne relative Chinese paper bush (edgeworthia), which makes a fine border companion with later blooming rhododendrons.
—oregonlive, 30 Jan. 2020
Roger, Eric, and Marjory Gossler of Gossler Farms Nursery in Springfield are collectively familiar with some 6,000 plant varieties, including several dozen daphne cultivars.
—oregonlive, 30 Jan. 2020
No garden should be without hellebores or a daphne or two, winterberry hollies and witch hazels.
—Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2019
These include forsythias, silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana), white forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum), winter daphnes, winter jasmine, and witch hazels.
—Thad Orr, Sunset, 22 Jan. 2018
Here, the space is enveloped by a small shade garden planted as a ring of hostas, ferns, daphne and a massive jasmine plant.
—Amy Pennington, The Seattle Times, 19 May 2019
Pieris, rosemary, lavender and Daphne odora and other winter daphne are also low-maintenance.
—OregonLive.com, 24 Feb. 2018
Noun
During a heat wave, protect the daphne by rigging temporary shade for as long as necessary.
—oregonlive, 20 Feb. 2022
There are so many winter fragrant shrubs worth a look — and sniff
Deciduous, somewhat tropical looking daphne relative Chinese paper bush (edgeworthia), which makes a fine border companion with later blooming rhododendrons.
—oregonlive, 30 Jan. 2020
Roger, Eric, and Marjory Gossler of Gossler Farms Nursery in Springfield are collectively familiar with some 6,000 plant varieties, including several dozen daphne cultivars.
—oregonlive, 30 Jan. 2020
No garden should be without hellebores or a daphne or two, winterberry hollies and witch hazels.
—Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2019
These include forsythias, silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana), white forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum), winter daphnes, winter jasmine, and witch hazels.
—Thad Orr, Sunset, 22 Jan. 2018
Here, the space is enveloped by a small shade garden planted as a ring of hostas, ferns, daphne and a massive jasmine plant.
—Amy Pennington, The Seattle Times, 19 May 2019
Pieris, rosemary, lavender and Daphne odora and other winter daphne are also low-maintenance.
—OregonLive.com, 24 Feb. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'daphne.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Daphne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daphne. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Medical Definition
daphne
noun
daph·ne
ˈdaf-(ˌ)nē 
1
capitalized
: a genus of Eurasian shrubs (family Thymelaeaceae) that have often fragrant flowers without petals and that include the mezereon
2
: a plant of the genus Daphne
More from Merriam-Webster on daphne
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about daphne
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