short for POET LAUREATE. # adj. POETIC/LITERARY wreathed with laurel as a mark of honor. (of a crown or wreath) consisting of laurel. lau*re*ate*ship n. late Middle English (as an adjective): from Latin laureatus, from laurea 'laurel wreath', from laurus 'laurel'. Linked entries: POET LAUREATE # Lau*rel a city in central Maryland, between Washington, DC, and Baltimore; pop. 19,960. lau*rel n. 1 any of a number of shrubs and other plants with dark green