1. 1. A ring or circlet of flowers, boughs, or leaves worn on the head, placed on a memorial, or hung as a decoration.
   2. A representation of this ring or circlet, as in woodwork.
2. A curling or circular form: a wreath of smoke.

[Middle English wrethe, from Old English writha, band.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.