wreathe

verb24

1. •
   Of flowers, leaves, etc.: to form the shape of a wreath around (something).

   • Death's Harbingers, lye latent in the Draught: / And in the Flovv'rs that vvreath the sparkling Bovvl, / Fell Adders hiss, and poys'nous Serpents roll. — 1718
2. •
   Often followed by in and the thing encircling: to coil or spiral around, or encircle, (someone or something); (by extension) to cover or envelop (someone or something).

   • At the funeral, a circle of comrades wreathed the grave of the honoured deceased.
3. •
   [with oneself] Followed by about, around, or round: to coil, twist, or wind (oneself or something) around a person or thing; (by extension) to cause (oneself or something) to cover or encircle a person or thing.

   • He had a kercher wreathed aboute his heed: […] — 1530
4. •
   Followed by about, around, or round: to coil, twist, or wind around a person or thing.

   • [W]hen the Hoppe groweth high it must haue a pole, when the Iuie spreadeth, it cleaueth to the flint, when the Vine riseth, it wreatheth about yͤ Elme, […] — 1580
5. •
   To arrange (one's expression, face, etc.) into a smile; also (reflexive), of the lips, mouth, etc.: to arrange (itself or themselves) into a smile.

   • Contempt kept Bertram's anger down, / And wreathed to savage smile his frown. — 1813
6. •
   To coil, curl, or twist (something); to shape (something) into circles or coils.

   • [S]he starts like one that spies an adder, / VVreath'd vp in fatall folds iust in his vvay, / The feare vvhereof doth make him shake, & shudder, […] — 1594
7. •
   Of mist, smoke, etc.: to move with a coiling, spiralling, or twisting motion.

   • I unsealed the vial mystical, / I outpoured the liquid thing, / And while the smoke came wreathing out, / I stood unshuddering. — 1833
8. •
   To adorn (someone or something) with a garland or wreath.

   • [W]ith Laurels vvreath your posts, / And strovv vvith Flovv'rs the Pavement; […] — 1677
9. •
   Often followed by together: to entwine or twist (two or more people or things) together; to intertwine, to interweave.

   • [Y]ou haue learn'd (like Sir Protheus) to vvreath your Armes like a Male-content: […] — 1590
10. •
    [with oneself] To bend or turn (oneself), often continuously; to twist and turn, to writhe.
11. •
    To bend or turn, often continuously; to twist and turn, to writhe.

    • [F]or griefe his hart did grate, / And from so heauie sight his head did vvreath, / Accusing fortune, and too cruell fate, / VVhich plonged had faire Lady in so vvretched state. — 1590
12. •
    To strengthen (an earthen embankment) with hurdles of wattle.
13. •
    (no longer used) To form (a crown, garland, wreath, etc.) by entwining or twisting flowers, leaves, etc., together; also, to entwine or twist (flowers, leaves, etc.) together to form a crown, garland, wreath, etc.

    • [Y]our friend Piers / Wreath'd me this cowslip garland for my head— […] — 1794
14. •
    (no longer used) To form (something) by entwining or twisting two or more things together; also, to entwine or twist (something) with another thing.

    • Yf ther be twaine, one may defend the tother ouer throwne. / The single twyned cordes may no suche stresse indure / As cables brayded thre fould may, together wrethed swer [i.e., sure]. — 1548
15. •
    (no longer used, rare) Followed by with: to become intertwined with something.
16. •
    (no longer used) To cause (the body, limbs, etc.) to twist violently; to contort, to writhe.

    • Warm corpses fall upon the clay cold dead; / And even in death their lips are wreathed with fear.— […] — 1817
17. •
    (figurative, no longer used) Followed by on: to place (a yoke, symbolizing a burden) on someone's neck.

    • [T]he French troops vvere to be employed as instruments for subduing the Scots, and vvreathing the yoke about their necks. — 1759
18. •
    (Scotland, no longer used) Of snow: to form drifts.
19. •
    [with oneself] (figurative, no longer used) To artfully introduce (oneself) into a situation, a person's thoughts, etc.; to insinuate.
20. •
    (no longer used) To rip or tear (something); to rend.
21. •
    (no longer used) To turn (something) violently around or aside; to wrench, to wring.

    • [T]o wrest the will of man, or to wreath his hearte to our humours, it is not in the compasse of Arte, but in the power of the most highest. — 1580
22. •
    (no longer used) Followed by from: to take (something) by force; to wrest.
23. •
    (no longer used, rare) To make (a bow) by bending forward.

    • […] Those of fairer front, / But equal inhumanity, in courts, / And slippery pomp delight, in dark cabals; / VVreathe the deep bovv, diffuse the lying smile, / And tread the vveary labyrinth of state. — 1730
24. •
    (figurative, no longer used) To give (spoken or written words) a false or strained meaning; to twist.