garland

plural garlands

1. A circular or linear decoration, especially one of plaited flowers or leaves, worn on the body or draped as a decoration.

   Bestow a Garland only on a Bier

   1717, Alexander Pope, The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], →OCLC

   1 more example

   Both brides and grooms in native Hawaiian tradition wear flower garlands as a physical manifestation of their love for one another, and to some, the twining of the stems is reflective of two families now becoming one. A more tourist-friendly version established in the past couple of decades involves winding the leis around the couple’s hands to bind them together.

   2013 August 30, Kat Kinsman, “Something borrowed: Wedding traditions from around the world”, in CNN

2. An accolade or mark of honour.
3. businessA metal gutter placed round a mineshaft on the inside, to catch water running down inside the shaft and run it into a drainpipe.
4. The crown of a monarch.

   [She] ioyfully receyued and welcommed mee, as the onely type and garland of her noble ſtirpe and linage, […]

   1569, Richard Grafton, “Henry the Seuenth”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye, →OCLC, page 911

5. datedA book of extracts in prose or poetry; an anthology.

   They [ballads] began to be collected into little miscellanies under the name of garlands.

   1765, Thomas Percy, Reliques of Ancient English Poetry

6. The top; the thing most prized.

   And call him noble that was now your hate, / Him vile that was your garland.

   c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]

7. nauticalA sort of netted bag used by sailors to keep provisions in.
8. nauticalA grommet or ring of rope lashed to a spar for convenience in handling.

present singular third person garlands · participle present garlanding · participle past garlanded · past garlanded

1. transitiveTo deck or ornament something with a garland.

   Anand disembarks like a statesman from the Volkswagen to be garlanded immediately by five different women.

   2008, Preeta Samarasan, Evening is the Whole Day, Fourth Estate, page 206

2. transitiveTo form something into a garland.

plural Garlands

1. countableuncountableA surname originating as an occupation for a maker or seller of garlands.

   1 more example

   U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) led Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to send a letter to President Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, following up on previous requests that the administration use its authority to deschedule cannabis and pardon non-violent cannabis-related offenders.

   2022 July 6, “Senators Warren, Sanders, Markey, and Gillibrand Urge Administration to Deschedule Cannabis and Pardon Nonviolent Cannabis Offenders”, in warren.senate.gov, archived from the original on 16 Dec 2022

2. countableA male given name transferred from the surname.
3. A number of places in the United States, named for persons with the surname:
   1. countableuncountableA town in Miller County, Arkansas.
   2. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Bourbon County, Kansas.
   3. countableuncountableA town in Penobscot County, Maine.
   4. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Henry County, Missouri.
   5. countableuncountableA village in Seward County, Nebraska.
   6. countableuncountableA town in Sampson County, North Carolina.
   7. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Miami County, Ohio.
   8. countableuncountableA city mostly in Dallas County, Texas.
   9. countableuncountableA city in Box Elder County, Utah.
   10. countableuncountableA census-designated place in Park County, Wyoming.
4. countableuncountableA locality in the Blayney council area, central eastern New South Wales, Australia.