garland

noun

gar·land | \ ˈgär-lənd

Definition of garland

(Entry 1 of 5)

1 : a circular or spiral arrangement of intertwined material (such as flowers or leaves)

2 : anthology, collection

garland

verb

garlanded; garlanding; garlands

Definition of garland (Entry 2 of 5)

transitive verb

1 : to form into a garland

2 : to adorn with or as if with a garland

Garland

biographical name (1)

Gar·land | \ ˈgär-lənd

Definition of Garland (Entry 3 of 5)

(Hannibal) Hamlin 1860–1940 American novelist

Garland

biographical name (2)

Definition of Garland (Entry 4 of 5)

Judy 1922–1969 originally Frances Gumm American actress and singer

Garland

geographical name

Gar·land | \ ˈgär-lənd

Definition of Garland (Entry 5 of 5)

city in northeastern Texas north-northeast of Dallas population 226,876

Examples of garland in a Sentence

Noun

They placed a garland of flowers around her neck.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Visitors here were treated to garlands of their own, local tribal dances, coffee, tea and evening lightshows displayed on the village’s 500-year-old distinct natural clay, stone and wood structures. — Washington Post, "Saudi festival showcases green mountains, flower crowns," 30 Aug. 2019 Floral garlands adorn the furniture and window sills as an homage to flowers that bloom in the South. — Jessica Villagomez, chicagotribune.com, "Family fights to remain in Austin neighborhood’s iconic pink house," 24 July 2019 The couple draped huge garlands of flowers around one another’s necks and relatives threw grains of yellow rice that caught in their dark hair. — Joanna Slater, Washington Post, "A young Indian couple married for love. Then the bride’s father hired assassins.," 19 Aug. 2019 For someone like Kate, being forced to dress up like an elf could really get your Christmas garland in a twist. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding in love! Get a sneak peek at Last Christmas," 17 July 2019 How many Instagram photos feature a whitewashed stone wall with bunches of scarlet tomatoes pulled from the ground, plant and all, and hung upside down, or cherry tomatoes carefully threaded and hung as garlands? — Evan Kleiman, latimes.com, "Sun-dried tomatoes, the Mickey Rourke of food, get their second act," 10 July 2019 On his birthday farmers hang garlands on his statue. — The Economist, "The South Asian monsoon, past, present and future," 27 June 2019 There’s a pleasant little shrine of Ganesh, draped in garlands of red and yellow roses, at the entrance. — Mayukh Sen, Bon Appetit, "The Unshakeable Indian Restaurant I’ll Go Out of My Way to Visit," 6 June 2018 The headpiece dates back to the late nineteenth century and boasts a garland of roses set with rose-cut diamonds. — Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE.com, "The Meaning Behind Meghan Markle's Wedding Tiara: How It Pays Tribute to Her New Royal Family," 19 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Modi said in his address Thursday, speaking in front of a billowing, oversize Indian flag on a podium garlanded with jasmine flowers. — Joanna Slater, Washington Post, "In Modi’s move on Kashmir, a road map for his ‘new India’," 15 Aug. 2019 Next in line is a record-company executive, Debra (Kate McKinnon), who flies Jack to Los Angeles and promises, or threatens, to garland him with riches and renown. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "“Yesterday” Wants to Hold Your Hand," 28 June 2019 The action unfurls in a quaint medieval town square garlanded with flowers and armorial pennants, (modified for the Gala), where Harlequin woos Columbine, and in a Beaux Arts ballroom conservatory where the action continues in the second act. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, "American Ballet Theatre Revives the Color and Comedy of Marius Petipa's Harlequinade," 24 May 2018 More inspired are Gianni Versace’s diaphanous dresses of gold and silver mesh, a signature material that the designer garlanded with crosses. — Jason Farago, New York Times, "‘Heavenly Bodies’ Brings the Fabric of Faith to the Met," 9 May 2018 There are port facilities at the mouth of the fjord, towers garlanded by hundreds of miles of transmission lines, five smelters and a refinery, all owned by the area’s largest private employer and top aluminum shipper to the U.S., Rio Tinto Group. — Danielle Bochove, Bloomberg.com, "Trump’s Trade War Looms Over a Canadian Town Built to Supply America," 28 June 2018 Her sister, Lady Jane Fellowes, delivered the reading and the chapel itself was garlanded with white roses, the favorite flowers of Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. — Anchorage Daily News, "In a union of tradition and modernity, Meghan Markle marries Prince Harry," 19 May 2018 The crowd of thousands, led by local clerics, garlanded Mayar and other freed defendants with roses, then marched through the city with boisterous chants and banners that called for the sentences to be overturned and those convicted to be freed. — Washington Post, "Religious groups protest guilty verdicts in slaying of Pakistani student," 10 Feb. 2018 Wreaths Across America, the nonprofit that garlands the graves of American service members during the holiday season, is looking for a few good donations. — Carl Prine, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego launches fundraising for Wreaths Across America Xmas outreach," 3 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'garland.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for garland

Noun

Middle English gerland, garlond "wreath of leaves or flowers worn as a crown," borrowed from Anglo-French garlande, gerlaunde "hair band, diadem" (continental Old French, "crown made with gold filigree"), probably from Old French *gareler "to trim with gold or silver filigree" (expansion, with -eler after such verbs as estenceler "to sparkle," of Old Low Franconian *wearōn, *wiarōn, derivative of *wiara "gold or silver filigree, ornament made of such material," going back to Germanic *wīr- "metal thread, wire") + -ande, collective noun suffix (going back to Latin -anda, neuter plural gerundive suffix) — more at stencil entry 1, wire entry 1

Note: The variant Old Low Franconian forms *weara, *wiara (corresponding to Old High German wiara "fine gold, ornament of gold filigree"), stages in the development of Germanic e², are postulated to explain the two Romance outcomes of this etymon: garlande in Old French (from *weara) and guirlanda "crown made of gold thread," first attested in Old Occitan (from *wiara, presumably progressing to *wiera as in Old High German). Old Occitan guirlanda, borrowed into Italian as ghirlanda, cycled back to French in the 16th century as guirlande, in the sense "circular arrangement of flowers or leaves."

Verb

Middle English gerlonden, garlonden, derivative of gerland garland entry 1

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More Definitions for garland

garland

noun

English Language Learners Definition of garland

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a ring or rope that is made of leaves, flowers, or some other material and that is used as a decoration

garland

verb

English Language Learners Definition of garland (Entry 2 of 2)

: to put a garland on (someone or something)

See the full definition for garland in the English Language Learners Dictionary

garland

noun

gar·land | \ ˈgär-lənd

Kids Definition of garland

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a wreath or rope of material (as leaves or flowers)

garland

verb

garlanded; garlanding

Kids Definition of garland (Entry 2 of 2)

garland

Definition of garland

Examples of garland in a Sentence

First Known Use of garland

History and Etymology for garland

English Language Learners Definition of garland

Kids Definition of garland

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