1cover, surround, or encircle:he sits wreathed in smoke
[with object and adverbial of direction] literary twist or entwine (something flexible) round or over something:shall I once more wreathe my arms about Antonio’s neck?
[no object, with adverbial of direction] (especially of smoke) move with a curling motion:he watched the smoke wreathe into the night air
2form (flowers, leaves, or stems) into a wreath.
Phrases
be wreathed in smiles
be smiling broadly:his tanned face was wreathed in smiles
Origin:
mid 16th century: partly a back-formation from archaic wrethen, past participle of writhe, reinforced by wreath
wreathe in other Oxford dictionaries
Definition of wreathe in the US English dictionary
