n. [ NL. baccalaureatus, fr. LL. baccalaureus a bachelor of arts, fr. baccalarius, but as if fr. L. bacca lauri bayberry, from the practice of the bachelor's wearing a garland of bayberries. See Bachelor. ] 1. The degree of bachelor of arts (B.A. or A.B.), the first or lowest academical degree conferred by universities and colleges. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A baccalaureate sermon. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to a bachelor of arts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Baccalaureate sermon, in some American colleges, a sermon delivered as a farewell discourse to a graduating class. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL., fr. Gr. (&unr_;) lane, defile, also, a kind of monastery. ] (R. C. Ch.) A number of hermitages or cells in the same neighborhood occupied by anchorites who were under the same superior. C. Kingsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Laurus. ] (Bot.) Belonging to, or resembling, a natural order (Lauraceæ) of trees and shrubs having aromatic bark and foliage, and including the laurel, sassafras, cinnamon tree, true camphor tree, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A salt of lauric acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. laureatus, fr. laurea laurel tree, fr. laureus of laurel, fr. laurus laurel: cf. F. lauréat. Cf. Laurel. ] Crowned, or decked, with laurel. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

To strew the laureate hearse where Lycid lies. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Soft on her lap her laureate son reclines. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Poet laureate. (b) One who received an honorable degree in grammar, including poetry and rhetoric, at the English universities; -- so called as being presented with a wreath of laurel. [ Obs. ] (b) Formerly, an officer of the king's household, whose business was to compose an ode annually for the king's birthday, and other suitable occasions; now, a poet officially distinguished by such honorary title, the office being a sinecure. It is said this title was first given in the time of Edward IV. [ Eng. ] (c) A poet who has been publicly recognized as the most pre-eminent poet of a country or region; as, the poet laureate of the United States. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. 1. One crowned with laurel; a poet laureate. “A learned laureate.” Cleveland. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A person who has been presented with an award for some distinguished achievement; as, a Nobel laureate; the Pris de Rome laureate; the Music Director Laureate; the conductor laureate. [ PJC ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Laureated p. pr. & vb. n. Laureating ] To honor with a wreath of laurel, as formerly was done in bestowing a degree at the English universities. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. State, or office, of a laureate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. lauréation. ] The act of crowning with laurel; the act of conferring an academic degree, or honorary title. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. lorel, laurer, lorer, OF. lorier, laurier, F. laurier, (assumed) LL. Laurarius, fr. L. laurus. ] 1. (Bot.) An evergreen shrub, of the genus Laurus (Laurus nobilis), having aromatic leaves of a lanceolate shape, with clusters of small, yellowish white flowers in their axils; -- called also sweet bay. The fruit is a purple berry. It is found about the Mediterranean, and was early used by the ancient Greeks to crown the victor in the games of Apollo. At a later period, academic honors were indicated by a crown of laurel, with the fruit. The leaves and tree yield an aromatic oil, used to flavor the bay water of commerce. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The name is extended to other plants which in some respect resemble the true laurel. See Phrases, below. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A crown of laurel; hence, honor; distinction; fame; -- especially in the plural; as, to win laurels. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An English gold coin made in 1619, and so called because the king's head on it was crowned with laurel. [ 1913 Webster ]

Laurel water, water distilled from the fresh leaves of the cherry laurel, and containing prussic acid and other products carried over in the process. [ 1913 Webster ]

American laurel, or
Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia; called also calico bush. See under Mountain. --
California laurel, Umbellularia Californica. --
Cherry laurel (in England called laurel). See under Cherry. --
Great laurel, the rosebay (Rhododendron maximum). --
Ground laurel, trailing arbutus. --
New Zealand laurel, the Laurelia Novæ Zelandiæ. --
Portugal laurel, the Prunus Lusitanica. --
Rose laurel, the oleander. See Oleander. --
Sheep laurel, a poisonous shrub, Kalmia angustifolia, smaller than the mountain laurel, and with smaller and redder flowers. --
Spurge laurel, Daphne Laureola. --
West Indian laurel, Prunus occidentalis. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Crowned with laurel, or with a laurel wreath; laureate. [ Written also laurelled. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. An honor or honors conferred for some notable achievement. [ PJC ]

to rest on one's laurels [ fig. ] to be content with one's past achievements and not strive to continue to excel; as, he didn't rest on his laurels after receiving the Nobel Prize, but went on to made even more significant discoveries. [ PJC ]

n. A small tree (Persea borbonia) of the Southern U. S. having dark red heartwood.
Syn. -- red bay, Persea borbonia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Pertaining to, or near, the St. Lawrence River; as, the Laurentian hills. [ 1913 Webster ]

Laurentian period (Geol.), the lower of the two divisions of the Archæan age; -- called also the Laurentian. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Laurel. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL. lautus tinus, fr. L. laurus the laurel + tinus laurestine. See Laurel. ] (Bot.) The Viburnum Tinus, an evergreen shrub or tree of the south of Europe, which flowers during the winter months. [ Written also laurustine and laurestina. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Pertaining to, or derived from, the European bay or laurel (Laurus nobilis). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pertaining to or combined with lauric acid, the 12-carbon member of the fatty acid series; combined with the acyl group of lauric acid. [ PJC ]

(Chem.), a white, crystalline substance, CH3.(CH2)10.COOH, resembling palmitic acid, and obtained from the fruit of the bay tree, and various other vegetable sources. The sodium salt (sodium lauryl sulfate) is used as a detergent. Syn. -- dodecanoic acid, laurostearic acid, dodecoic acid. [ 1913 Webster + PJC ]

a. [ L. laurifer; laurus + ferre to bear. ] Producing, or bringing, laurel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. laurine. ] (Chem.) A white crystalline substance extracted from the fruit of the bay (Laurus nobilis), and consisting of a complex mixture of glycerin ethers of several organic acids. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Laurin + -ol. ] (Chem.) Ordinary camphor; -- so called in allusion to the family name (Lauraceæ) of the camphor trees. See Camphor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Spurge laurel. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Etymol. uncertain. ] (Min.) A rare sulphide of osmium and ruthenium found with platinum in Borneo and Oregon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Lauric + -one. ] (Chem.) The ketone of lauric acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., laurel. ] (Bot.) A genus of trees including, according to modern authors, only the true laurel (Laurus nobilis), and the larger Laurus Canariensis of Madeira and the Canary Islands. Formerly the sassafras, the camphor tree, the cinnamon tree, and several other aromatic trees and shrubs, were also referred to the genus Laurus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F.; so called after Duc de Roquelaure, in the reign of Louis XIV. ] A cloak reaching about to, or just below, the knees, worn in the 18th century. [ Written also roquelo. ] [ 1913 Webster ]