daphne

plural daphnes

1. Any one of least 50 species of shrub in the genus Daphne of the family Thymelaeaceae, some of which are grown as ornamentals.

alternative Daphnë

1. Greekhuman sciencesA dryad pursued by Apollo, who was turned into a laurel tree by the river god Peneus.

   Run when you will, the story shall be chang'd; / Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase; / The dove pursues the griffin

   c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]

2. astronomy41 Daphne, a main belt asteroid.

   Synonyms: 41 Daphne, ㊶

3. A female given name from Ancient Greek.

   My wife. Daphne. Yes, that was, is, her name. For some reason people have always found it faintly comic. I think it matches very well her damp, dark, myopic beauty.

   1989, John Banville, The Book of Evidence, page 7