wreathe

verb

\ ˈrēt͟h

wreathed; wreathing

Definition of wreathe

transitive verb

1a : to shape into a wreath

b : interweave

c : to cause to coil about something

2 : to twist or contort so as to show folds or creases

3 : to encircle or adorn with or as if with a wreath

intransitive verb

1 : to twist in coils : writhe

2a : to take on the shape of a wreath

b : to move or extend in circles or spirals

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Examples of wreathe in a Sentence

decided to wreathe the grapevines into a beribboned swag to give the room the “country look” wreathed small flowers into the design for the wallpaper

Recent Examples on the Web

Brandoniya lay in a small casket, white wreathed in pale pink, with a glimmering tiara atop her head. — Sarah Sarder, Dallas News, "Family buries 9-year-old Dallas girl whose death inspires calls to 'stand up' against gun violence," 25 May 2010 Brash, tireless and in the seclusion of the boardroom wreathed in a cloud of cigar smoke and profanities, Mr Iacocca presented a public image when boss of Chrysler as the patriotic car guy urging his countrymen to buy American. — The Economist, "Obituary: Lee Iacocca," 4 July 2019 Previous spacecraft had had to carry their crews up through the buffeting atmosphere and bring them back down through it wreathed in fire. — Oliver Morton, WIRED, "The Beauty and Madness of Sending a Man to the Moon," 4 June 2019 Along the way Maddin works his way through his usual bag of tricks—irises, feverish superimpositions, texts introducing the characters, figures wreathed in electronic snow. — Patrick Friel, Chicago Reader, "Film / Foreign / On Video / Small Screen The weird world of Guy Maddin," 1 May 2018 Campaigners accused the government of doing too little, as dramatic footage showed the area off Balikpapan in the province of East Kalimantan wreathed in thick black smoke after the oil caught fire over the weekend. — Euan Mckirdy, CNN, "State of emergency declared over Indonesia oil spill," 4 Apr. 2018 Raissa and Mariam take it all in -- wreathes heavy with ornaments, chandeliers, ablaze with light. — Andrea Simakis, cleveland.com, "Searching for the meaning of Christmas with Raissa in Playhouse Square: Andrea Simakis," 24 Dec. 2017 Their grave boxes still smell like fresh paint and are wreathed in plastic flowers, propped up on blocks on the cemetery's highest ground, at least for now. — Author: Teresa Cotsirilos, Anchorage Daily News, "As permafrost thaws, Western Alaska village cemeteries sink into swampland," 19 Dec. 2017 Void Star’s characters live in a near-future world where global warming has flooded most coastal cities and San Francisco and Los Angeles are wreathed in squalid favelas. — Laura Miller, Slate Magazine, "Dark Futures," 25 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wreathe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near wreathe

Statistics for wreathe

Last Updated

6 Sep 2019

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Time Traveler for wreathe

The first known use of wreathe was in 1530

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More Definitions for wreathe

wreathe

verb

English Language Learners Definition of wreathe

literary : to surround or cover (something)

See the full definition for wreathe in the English Language Learners Dictionary

wreathe

verb

\ ˈrēt͟h

wreathed; wreathing

Kids Definition of wreathe

1 : to form into wreaths Evergreen branches were wreathed and hung.

2 : to crown, decorate, or cover with or as if with a wreath The girls … wreathed their hair with … blossoms.— Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea