Dictionary    Maps    Thesaurus    Translate    Advanced >   


Tip: Click Thesaurus above for synonyms. Also, follow synonym links within the dictionary to find definitions from other sources.

1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
sweet bay
    n 1: shrub or small tree having rather small fragrant white
         flowers; abundant in southeastern United States [syn:
         sweet bay, swamp bay, swamp laurel, Magnolia
         virginiana]

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.
         [1913 Webster]

   Note: The name is extended to other plants which in some
         respect resemble the true laurel. See Phrases, below.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. A crown of laurel; hence, honor; distinction; fame; --
      especially in the plural; as, to win laurels.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. An English gold coin made in 1619, and so called because
      the king's head on it was crowned with laurel.
      [1913 Webster]

   Laurel water, water distilled from the fresh leaves of the
      cherry laurel, and containing prussic acid and other
      products carried over in the process.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

3. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Swamp \Swamp\, n. [Cf. AS. swam a fungus, OD. swam a sponge, D.
   zwam a fungus, G. schwamm a sponge, Icel. sv["o]ppr, Dan. &
   Sw. swamp, Goth. swamms, Gr. somfo`s porous, spongy.]
   Wet, spongy land; soft, low ground saturated with water, but
   not usually covered with it; marshy ground away from the
   seashore.
   [1913 Webster]

         Gray swamps and pools, waste places of the hern.
                                                  --Tennyson.
   [1913 Webster]

         A swamp differs from a bog and a marsh in producing
         trees and shrubs, while the latter produce only
         herbage, plants, and mosses.             --Farming
                                                  Encyc. (E.
                                                  Edwards,
                                                  Words).
   [1913 Webster]

   Swamp blackbird. (Zool.) See Redwing
   (b) .

   Swamp cabbage (Bot.), skunk cabbage.

   Swamp deer (Zool.), an Asiatic deer (Rucervus Duvaucelli)
      of India.

   Swamp hen. (Zool.)
   (a) An Australian azure-breasted bird (Porphyrio bellus);
       -- called also goollema.
   (b) An Australian water crake, or rail (Porzana Tabuensis);
       -- called also little swamp hen.
   (c) The European purple gallinule.

   Swamp honeysuckle (Bot.), an American shrub (Azalea
      viscosa syn. Rhododendron viscosa or Rhododendron
      viscosum) growing in swampy places, with fragrant flowers
      of a white color, or white tinged with rose; -- called
      also swamp pink and white swamp honeysuckle.

   Swamp hook, a hook and chain used by lumbermen in handling
      logs. Cf. Cant hook.

   Swamp itch. (Med.) See Prairie itch, under Prairie.

   Swamp laurel (Bot.), a shrub (Kalmia glauca) having small
      leaves with the lower surface glaucous.

   Swamp maple (Bot.), red maple. See Maple.

   Swamp oak (Bot.), a name given to several kinds of oak
      which grow in swampy places, as swamp Spanish oak
      (Quercus palustris), swamp white oak (Quercus
      bicolor), swamp post oak (Quercus lyrata).

   Swamp ore (Min.), bog ore; limonite.

   Swamp partridge (Zool.), any one of several Australian game
      birds of the genera Synoicus and Excalfatoria, allied
      to the European partridges.

   Swamp robin (Zool.), the chewink.

   Swamp sassafras (Bot.), a small North American tree of the
      genus Magnolia (Magnolia glauca) with aromatic leaves
      and fragrant creamy-white blossoms; -- called also sweet
      bay.

   Swamp sparrow (Zool.), a common North American sparrow
      (Melospiza Georgiana, or Melospiza palustris), closely
      resembling the song sparrow. It lives in low, swampy
      places.

   Swamp willow. (Bot.) See Pussy willow, under Pussy.
      [1913 Webster]

4. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Pleasing to the smell; fragrant; redolent; balmy; as, a
      sweet rose; sweet odor; sweet incense.
      [1913 Webster]

            The breath of these flowers is sweet to me.
                                                  --Longfellow.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

            To make his English sweet upon his tongue.
                                                  --Chaucer.
      [1913 Webster]

            A voice sweet, tremulous, but powerful. --Hawthorne.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Pleasing to the eye; beautiful; mild and attractive; fair;
      as, a sweet face; a sweet color or complexion.
      [1913 Webster]

            Sweet interchange
            Of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains.
                                                  --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. Fresh; not salt or brackish; as, sweet water. --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
          [1913 Webster]

   7. Plaesing to the mind; mild; gentle; calm; amiable;
      winning; presuasive; as, sweet manners.
      [1913 Webster]

            Canst thou bind the sweet influence of Pleiades?
                                                  --Job xxxviii.
                                                  31.
      [1913 Webster]

            Mildness and sweet reasonableness is the one
            established rule of Christian working. --M. Arnold.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: Sweet is often used in the formation of self-explaining
         compounds; as, sweet-blossomed, sweet-featured,
         sweet-smelling, sweet-tempered, sweet-toned, etc.
         [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Sugary; saccharine; dulcet; luscious.
        [1913 Webster]

Common Misspellings >
Most Popular Searches: Define Misanthrope, Define Pulchritudinous, Define Happy, Define Veracity, Define Cornucopia, Define Almuerzo, Define Atresic, Define URL, Definitions Of Words, Definition Of Get Up, Definition Of Quid Pro Quo, Definition Of Irreconcilable Differences, Definition Of Word, Synonyms of Repetitive, Synonym Dictionary, Synonym Antonyms. See our main index and map index for more details.

©2011-2024 ZebraWords.com - Define Yourself - The Search for Meanings and Meaning Means I Mean. All content subject to terms and conditions as set out here. Contact Us, peruse our Privacy Policy