wreathe
verb /riːð/
/riːð/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they wreathe | /riːð/ /riːð/ |
| he / she / it wreathes | /riːðz/ /riːðz/ |
| past simple wreathed | /riːðd/ /riːðd/ |
| past participle wreathed | /riːðd/ /riːðd/ |
| -ing form wreathing | /ˈriːðɪŋ/ /ˈriːðɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, usually passive] to surround or cover something
- be wreathed in/with something The mountain tops were wreathed in mist.
- The plant grew everywhere, its stems wreathed with soft blue flowers.
- (figurative) Her face was wreathed in smiles (= she was smiling a lot).
- [intransitive] + adv./prep. (literary) to move slowly and lightly, especially in circles synonym weave
- smoke wreathing into the sky
Word Originmid 16th cent.: partly a back-formation from archaic wrethen, past participle of writhe, reinforced by wreath.