: an evergreen shrub or tree (Laurus nobilis of the family Lauraceae, the laurel family) of southern Europe with small yellow flowers, fruits that are ovoid blackish berries, and evergreen foliage once used by the ancient Greeks to crown victors in the Pythian games
Noun
They enjoyed the laurels of their military victory.
The player earned his laurels from years of hard work.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
As always, there is no resting on laurels at the International Center for Music.—Patrick Neas, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2024 Athletes who placed second received a bronze or copper medal, as well as a branch of laurel and a diploma.—Chantelle Lee, TIME, 10 July 2024 No one at Park rests on their laurels, so Shmukler and Ioudenitch went to work preparing for their next goal, the Géza Anda competition.—Patrick Neas, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2024 But this storied metropolis doesn't rest on its laurels.—Paul Jebara, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for laurel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'laurel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English lorel, in part from Medieval Latin laureola spurge laurel (from Latin, laurel sprig), in part modification of Anglo-French lorer, from Old French lor laurel, from Latin laurus
: an evergreen shrub or tree of southern Europe related to the sassafras and cinnamon with shiny pointed leaves used by the ancient Greeks to crown victors in various contests
2
: a tree or shrub (as a mountain laurel) that resembles the true laurel
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