Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Wreath

Wreath (?; 277) , noun

[Old English wrethe, Anglo-Saxon wrae a twisted band, from wrīean 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.
(Heraldry) 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.