n. (pl. wreaths) 1 flowers or leaves fastened in a ring esp. as an ornament for a person's head or a building or for laying on a grave etc. as a mark of honour or respect. 2 a a similar ring of soft twisted material such as silk. b Heraldry a representation of this below a crest. 3 a carved representation of a wreath. 4 (foll. by of) a curl or ring of smoke or cloud. 5 a light drifting mass of snow etc.
[ OE writha f. weak grade of writhan WRITHE ]