wreathe
Wreathe (verb) means to twist or coil something, especially into the shape of a wreath. Example: “She wreathed ivy around the old trellis.”
How to use wreathe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo twist something into a coil, or to surround something the way mist or smoke curls around an object.
Wreathe is a fairly literary word, more common in descriptive writing than in everyday speech.
Remember wreathe is the verb (to wreathe something) and wreath is the noun (a circular decoration), a distinction that trips up many learners.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She _____ ivy around the old trellis.
Etymology
Wreathe comes from the Middle English verb wrethen, meaning to twist, which itself grew out of an Old English verb meaning to twist, bind or wrap. The word also absorbed an Old English noun for a coiled or ring-shaped band, the ancestor of the modern noun wreath, so the verb has always carried the idea of coiling something into a loop.
