garland

1 of 2

noun

gar·​land ˈgär-lənd How to pronounce garland (audio)
1
: a circular or spiral arrangement of intertwined material (such as flowers or leaves)
2

garland

2 of 2

verb

garlanded; garlanding; garlands

transitive verb

1
: to form into a garland
2
: to adorn with or as if with a garland

Examples of garland in a Sentence

Noun They placed a garland of flowers around her neck.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Though immigrant vendors in historic Chinatowns have set out garlands of tanghulu on their streets for years, more businesses across the country are making the snack more accessible to those who want to try it. Steffi Cao, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024 The two wed in 2012 at a private estate in Big Sur, California, for which the actor wore Rodarte and a simple flower garland in her hair. Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024 Tuck them into vases, along the mantel, or into a length of garland. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024 Sedans adorned with garlands, balloons and flowers followed, ferrying residents who waved and sang to their beloved Edie. Soumya Karlamangla, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 All decorations, including garland, lights, ornaments, plastic bags, tinsel, tree stands, etc., must be removed. Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 2 Jan. 2024 Here was someone who could teach you how to properly baste a Thanksgiving turkey, design your own Christmas garland and spruce up your dusty guest room with a sense of style and intent. Scottie Andrew, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024 Those shops now get their biggest sales from October ghouls, not December garlands. Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023 Her tip for decorating is to start with garlands, then work your way up to the tree, so you don’t get burnt out or too overwhelmed. Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Dec. 2023
Verb
Upon their release, the convicts had been garlanded with flowers by well-wishers and praised by a BJP lawmaker as good Brahmins, the highest Hindu caste. Anant Gupta, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 Cats darted up and down the front steps, which were garlanded with Christmas decorations. Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 8 Jan. 2024 The first to be evacuated, a short man wearing a dark grey winter jacket and a yellow hard-hat, was garlanded with marigold flowers and welcomed in traditional Indian style inside the tunnel by state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and federal deputy highways minister V.K. Singh. Saurabh Sharma, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Nov. 2023 The Indian government garlanded her with one of its highest civilian honors, the Padma Bhushan, in 2022. Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 The old-fashioned Square gets all gussied up for the season with lights and garland a plenty, plus a 12-foot Christmas tree. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 Nov. 2023 Once harvested, the chiles are sometimes garlanded with string and left to dry in the sun, an essential process that can take as long as a month, depending on the weather. Eric Kim, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2023 Outlining the door's trim, garland with coordinating pops of yellow unify the space. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2023 Read full article Instead of garlanding the current crisis with references to World War II — which Russia calls the Great Patriotic War, a favorite Putin topic — Putin spoke instead of 1917. Andrew Higgins, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'garland.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of garland was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near garland

Cite this Entry

“Garland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garland. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

garland

1 of 2 noun
gar·​land ˈgär-lənd How to pronounce garland (audio)
: a wreath or rope of leaves or flowers or of other material

garland

2 of 2 verb
: to form into or decorate with a garland

Geographical Definition

Garland

geographical name

Gar·​land ˈgär-lənd How to pronounce Garland (audio)
city in northeastern Texas north-northeast of Dallas population 226,876

Biographical Definition

Garland 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Gar·​land ˈgär-lənd How to pronounce Garland (audio)
(Hannibal) Hamlin 1860–1940 American novelist

Garland

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Judy 1922–1969 originally Frances Gumm American actress and singer
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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