'Laurus nobilis' definitions:

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

(from WordNet)
noun
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]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • 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]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • 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. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • Lauric \Lau"ric\, a.
  • 1. Pertaining to, or derived from, the European bay or laurel (Laurus nobilis). [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [PJC]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • 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]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • 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. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • 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. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Noble; generous; magnificent; princely. [1913 Webster]
  • How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio? --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. Under the patronage of royality; holding a charter granted by the sovereign; as, the Royal Academy of Arts; the Royal Society. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • Syn: Kingly; regal; monarchical; imperial; kinglike; princely; august; majestic; superb; splendid; illustrious; noble; magnanimous. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • 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.] [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • The patriot's honors and the poet's bays. --Trumbull. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. A tract covered with bay trees. [Local, U. S.] [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • 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.] [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • The patriot's honors and the poet's bays. --Trumbull. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. A tract covered with bay trees. [Local, U. S.] [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • Bayberry tallow, a fragrant green wax obtained from the bayberry or wax myrtle; -- called also myrtle wax. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Laurus nobilis'

From: GCIDE
  • Bay tree \Bay" tree`\ A species of laurel. (Laurus nobilis). [1913 Webster]