WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Wreath
Part of Speech : n.;
Etymology : [OE. wrethe, AS. wr?edh a twisted band, fr. wriedhan to twist. See Writhe.]
Definition : 1. Something twisted, intertwined, or curled; as, a wreath of smoke; a wreath of flowers. "A wrethe of gold." Chaucer. [He] of his tortuous train Curled many a wanton wreath. Milton.

2. A garland; a chaplet, esp. one given to a victor. Conquest doth grant He dear wreath to the Grecian combatant. Chapman. Far back in the ages, The plow with wreaths was crowned. Bryant.

3. (Her.)

Defn: An appendage to the shield, placed above it, and supporting the crest (see Illust. of Crest). It generally represents a twist of two cords of silk, one tinctured like the principal metal, the other like the principal color in the arms.

pl. Wreaths.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913