Wreath . [OE. wrethe, AS. wr&aemac;&edh; a twisted band, fr. wri&edh;an to twist. See Writhe.]
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.
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.
© Webster 1913.