Laurus nobilis
    n 1: small Mediterranean evergreen tree with small blackish
         berries and glossy aromatic leaves used for flavoring in
         cooking; also used by ancient Greeks to crown victors [syn:
         true laurel, bay, bay laurel, bay tree, Laurus
         nobilis]

Laurel \Lau"rel\, n. [OE. lorel, laurer, lorer, OF. lorier,
   laurier, F. laurier, (assumed) LL. Laurarius, fr. L. laurus.]
   1. (Bot.) An evergreen shrub, of the genus Laurus (Laurus
      nobilis), having aromatic leaves of a lanceolate shape,
      with clusters of small, yellowish white flowers in their
      axils; -- called also sweet bay.

   Note: The fruit is a purple berry. It is found about the
         Mediterranean, and was early used by the ancient Greeks
         to crown the victor in the games of Apollo. At a later
         period, academic honors were indicated by a crown of
         laurel, with the fruit. The leaves and tree yield an
         aromatic oil, used to flavor the bay water of commerce.
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   Note: The name is extended to other plants which in some
         respect resemble the true laurel. See Phrases, below.
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   2. A crown of laurel; hence, honor; distinction; fame; --
      especially in the plural; as, to win laurels.
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   3. An English gold coin made in 1619, and so called because
      the king's head on it was crowned with laurel.
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   Laurel water, water distilled from the fresh leaves of the
      cherry laurel, and containing prussic acid and other
      products carried over in the process.
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   American laurel, or Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia;
      called also calico bush. See under Mountain.

   California laurel, Umbellularia Californica.

   Cherry laurel (in England called laurel). See under
      Cherry.

   Great laurel, the rosebay (Rhododendron maximum).

   Ground laurel, trailing arbutus.

   New Zealand laurel, the Laurelia Nov[ae] Zelandi[ae].

   Portugal laurel, the Prunus Lusitanica.

   Rose laurel, the oleander. See Oleander.

   Sheep laurel, a poisonous shrub, Kalmia angustifolia,
      smaller than the mountain laurel, and with smaller and
      redder flowers.

   Spurge laurel, Daphne Laureola.

   West Indian laurel, Prunus occidentalis.
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Laurus \Lau"rus\, n. [L., laurel.] (Bot.)
   A genus of trees including, according to modern authors, only
   the true laurel (Laurus nobilis), and the larger Laurus
   Canariensis of Madeira and the Canary Islands. Formerly the
   sassafras, the camphor tree, the cinnamon tree, and several
   other aromatic trees and shrubs, were also referred to the
   genus Laurus.
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Lauric \Lau"ric\, a.
   1. Pertaining to, or derived from, the European bay or laurel
      (Laurus nobilis).
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   2. pertaining to or combined with lauric acid, the
      12-carbon member of the fatty acid series; combined with
      the acyl group of lauric acid.
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Laurin \Lau"rin\, n. [Cf. F. laurine.] (Chem.)
   A white crystalline substance extracted from the fruit of the
   bay (Laurus nobilis), and consisting of a complex mixture
   of glycerin ethers of several organic acids.
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Royal \Roy"al\, a. [OE. roial, riall, real, OF. roial. reial, F.
   royal, fr. L. regalis, fr. rex, regis, king. See Rich, and
   cf. regal, real a coin, Rial.]
   1. Kingly; pertaining to the crown or the sovereign; suitable
      for a king or queen; regal; as, royal power or
      prerogative; royal domains; the royal family; royal state.
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   2. Noble; generous; magnificent; princely.
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            How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio? --Shak.
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   3. Under the patronage of royality; holding a charter granted
      by the sovereign; as, the Royal Academy of Arts; the Royal
      Society.
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   Battle royal. See under Battle.

   Royal bay (Bot.), the classic laurel (Laurus nobilis.)

   Royal eagle. (Zool.) See Golden eagle, under Golden.

   Royal fern (Bot.), the handsome fern Osmunda regalis. See
      Osmund.

   Royal mast (Naut.), the mast next above the topgallant mast
      and usually the highest on a square-rigged vessel. The
      royal yard and royal sail are attached to the royal mast.
      

   Royal metal, an old name for gold.

   Royal palm (Bot.), a magnificent West Indian palm tree
      (Oreodoxa regia), lately discovered also in Florida.

   Royal pheasant. See Curassow.

   Royal purple, an intense violet color, verging toward blue.
      

   Royal tern (Zool.), a large, crested American tern (Sterna
      maxima).

   Royal tiger. (Zool.) See Tiger.

   Royal touch, the touching of a diseased person by the hand
      of a king, with the view of restoring to health; --
      formerly extensively practiced, particularly for the
      scrofula, or king's evil.
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   Syn: Kingly; regal; monarchical; imperial; kinglike;
        princely; august; majestic; superb; splendid;
        illustrious; noble; magnanimous.
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Sweetwood \Sweet"wood`\, n. (Bot.)
   (a) The true laurel (Laurus nobilis.)
   (b) The timber of the tree Oreodaphne Leucoxylon, growing
       in Jamaica. The name is also applied to the timber of
       several other related trees.
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Sweet \Sweet\, a. [Compar. Sweeter; superl. Sweetest.] [OE.
   swete, swote, sote, AS. sw[=e]te; akin to OFries. sw[=e]te,
   OS. sw[=o]ti, D. zoet, G. s["u]ss, OHG. suozi, Icel. saetr,
   soetr, Sw. s["o]t, Dan. s["o]d, Goth. suts, L. suavis, for
   suadvis, Gr. ?, Skr. sv[=a]du sweet, svad, sv[=a]d, to
   sweeten. [root]175. Cf. Assuage, Suave, Suasion.]
   1. Having an agreeable taste or flavor such as that of sugar;
      saccharine; -- opposed to sour and bitter; as, a sweet
      beverage; sweet fruits; sweet oranges.
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   2. Pleasing to the smell; fragrant; redolent; balmy; as, a
      sweet rose; sweet odor; sweet incense.
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            The breath of these flowers is sweet to me.
                                                  --Longfellow.
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   3. Pleasing to the ear; soft; melodious; harmonious; as, the
      sweet notes of a flute or an organ; sweet music; a sweet
      voice; a sweet singer.
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            To make his English sweet upon his tongue.
                                                  --Chaucer.
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            A voice sweet, tremulous, but powerful. --Hawthorne.
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   4. Pleasing to the eye; beautiful; mild and attractive; fair;
      as, a sweet face; a sweet color or complexion.
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            Sweet interchange
            Of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains.
                                                  --Milton.
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   5. Fresh; not salt or brackish; as, sweet water. --Bacon.
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   6. Not changed from a sound or wholesome state. Specifically:
      (a) Not sour; as, sweet milk or bread.
      (b) Not state; not putrescent or putrid; not rancid; as,
          sweet butter; sweet meat or fish.
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   7. Plaesing to the mind; mild; gentle; calm; amiable;
      winning; presuasive; as, sweet manners.
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            Canst thou bind the sweet influence of Pleiades?
                                                  --Job xxxviii.
                                                  31.
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            Mildness and sweet reasonableness is the one
            established rule of Christian working. --M. Arnold.
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   Note: Sweet is often used in the formation of self-explaining
         compounds; as, sweet-blossomed, sweet-featured,
         sweet-smelling, sweet-tempered, sweet-toned, etc.
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   Sweet alyssum. (Bot.) See Alyssum.

   Sweet apple. (Bot.)
      (a) Any apple of sweet flavor.
      (b) See Sweet-sop.

   Sweet bay. (Bot.)
      (a) The laurel (Laurus nobilis).
      (b) Swamp sassafras.

   Sweet calabash (Bot.), a plant of the genus Passiflora
      (Passiflora maliformis) growing in the West Indies, and
      producing a roundish, edible fruit, the size of an apple.
      

   Sweet cicely. (Bot.)
      (a) Either of the North American plants of the
          umbelliferous genus Osmorrhiza having aromatic roots
          and seeds, and white flowers. --Gray.
      (b) A plant of the genus Myrrhis (Myrrhis odorata)
          growing in England.

   Sweet calamus, or Sweet cane. (Bot.) Same as Sweet
      flag, below.

   Sweet Cistus (Bot.), an evergreen shrub (Cistus Ladanum)
      from which the gum ladanum is obtained.

   Sweet clover. (Bot.) See Melilot.

   Sweet coltsfoot (Bot.), a kind of butterbur (Petasites
      sagittata) found in Western North America.

   Sweet corn (Bot.), a variety of the maize of a sweet taste.
      See the Note under Corn.

   Sweet fern (Bot.), a small North American shrub (Comptonia
      asplenifolia syn. Myrica asplenifolia) having
      sweet-scented or aromatic leaves resembling fern leaves.
      

   Sweet flag (Bot.), an endogenous plant (Acorus Calamus)
      having long flaglike leaves and a rootstock of a pungent
      aromatic taste. It is found in wet places in Europe and
      America. See Calamus, 2.

   Sweet gale (Bot.), a shrub (Myrica Gale) having bitter
      fragrant leaves; -- also called sweet willow, and Dutch
      myrtle. See 5th Gale.

   Sweet grass (Bot.), holy, or Seneca, grass.

   Sweet gum (Bot.), an American tree (Liquidambar
      styraciflua). See Liquidambar.

   Sweet herbs, fragrant herbs cultivated for culinary
      purposes.

   Sweet John (Bot.), a variety of the sweet William.

   Sweet leaf (Bot.), horse sugar. See under Horse.

   Sweet marjoram. (Bot.) See Marjoram.

   Sweet marten (Zool.), the pine marten.

   Sweet maudlin (Bot.), a composite plant (Achillea
      Ageratum) allied to milfoil.

   Sweet oil, olive oil.

   Sweet pea. (Bot.) See under Pea.

   Sweet potato. (Bot.) See under Potato.

   Sweet rush (Bot.), sweet flag.

   Sweet spirits of niter (Med. Chem.) See Spirit of nitrous
      ether, under Spirit.

   Sweet sultan (Bot.), an annual composite plant (Centaurea
      moschata), also, the yellow-flowered (Centaurea
      odorata); -- called also sultan flower.

   Sweet tooth, an especial fondness for sweet things or for
      sweetmeats. [Colloq.]

   Sweet William.
      (a) (Bot.) A species of pink (Dianthus barbatus) of many
          varieties.
      (b) (Zool.) The willow warbler.
      (c) (Zool.) The European goldfinch; -- called also sweet
          Billy. [Prov. Eng.]

   Sweet willow (Bot.), sweet gale.

   Sweet wine. See Dry wine, under Dry.

   To be sweet on, to have a particular fondness for, or
      special interest in, as a young man for a young woman.
      [Colloq.] --Thackeray.
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   Syn: Sugary; saccharine; dulcet; luscious.
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Bay \Bay\, n. [F. baie a berry, the fruit of the laurel and
   other trees, fr. L. baca, bacca, a small round fruit, a
   berry, akin to Lith. bapka laurel berry.]
   1. A berry, particularly of the laurel. [Obs.]
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   2. The laurel tree (Laurus nobilis). Hence, in the plural,
      an honorary garland or crown bestowed as a prize for
      victory or excellence, anciently made or consisting of
      branches of the laurel.
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            The patriot's honors and the poet's bays.
                                                  --Trumbull.
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   3. A tract covered with bay trees. [Local, U. S.]
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   Bay leaf, the leaf of the bay tree (Laurus nobilis). It
      has a fragrant odor and an aromatic taste, and is used for
      flavoring in food.
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Bayberry \Bay"ber*ry\, n. (Bot.)
   (a) The fruit of the bay tree or Laurus nobilis.
   (b) A tree of the West Indies related to the myrtle (Pimenta
       acris).
   (c) The fruit of Myrica cerifera (wax myrtle); the shrub
       itself; -- called also candleberry tree.
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   Bayberry tallow, a fragrant green wax obtained from the
      bayberry or wax myrtle; -- called also myrtle wax.
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Bay tree \Bay" tree`\
   A species of laurel. (Laurus nobilis).
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