What is "daphne"

Daphne \Daph"ne\, n. [L., a laurel tree, from Gr. da`fnh.]

1. (Bot.) A genus of diminutive Shrubs, mostly evergreen, and with fragrant blossoms.

2. (Myth.) A nymph of Diana, fabled to have been changed into a laurel tree.

fem. proper name, from Greek daphne "laurel, bay tree;" in mythology the name of a nymph, daughter of the river Peneus, metamorphosed into a laurel by Gaia to save her from being ravished as she was pursued by Apollo.

n. (context botany English) Any one of least 50 species of shrub of the ''Thymelaeaceae'' family, some of which are grown as ornamentals.

1. n. any of several ornamental shrubs with shiny mostly evergreen leaves and clusters of small bell-shaped flowers

2. (Greek mythology) a nymph who was transformed into a laurel tree to escape the amorous Apollo

Daphne (; , meaning " laurel") is a minor figure in Greek mythology known as a naiad—a type of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. There are several versions of the myth, but the general narrative is that because of her beauty, Daphne attracted the attention and ardor of the god Apollo (Phoebus). Apollo pursued her and just before being overtaken, Daphne pleaded to her father, the rivergod Ladon, and Ge (Gaia) for help. So Ladon then transformed Daphne into a laurel tree. In Metamorphoses by Roman poet Ovid, she is identified as the daughter of the rivergod Pineios in Thessaly. At the Pythian Games which were held every four years in Delphi in honour of Apollo, a wreath of laurel gathered from the Vale of Tempe in Thessaly was given as a prize. According to Pausanias the reason for this "simply and solely because the prevailing tradition has it that Apollo fell in love with the daughter of Ladon (Daphne)".

Daphne (; Greek: Δάφνη, meaning "laurel") is a genus of between 50 and 95 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs in the family Thymelaeaceae, native to Asia, Europe and north Africa. They are noted for their scented flowers and poisonous berries.

1. redirect Daphne

Daphné (born 1974) is a French singer. Her first album, L'émeraude (The Emerald), was released in 2005.

Daphne, Op. 82, is an opera in one act by Richard Strauss, subtitled "Bucolic Tragedy in One Act". The German libretto was by Joseph Gregor. The opera is based loosely on the mythological figure Daphne from Ovid's Metamorphoses and includes elements taken from The Bacchae by Euripides. The opera premiered at the Semperoper in Dresden on 15 October 1938, originally intended as a double bill with Strauss' Friedenstag, but as the scale of Daphne grew, that idea was abandoned. The conductor of the first performance was Karl Böhm, to whom the opera was dedicated.

Daphne may refer to:

• The nymph Daphne in Greek mythology
• Daphne (opera), an opera by Richard Strauss based on the myth and legend of the beautiful nymph Daphne
• Daphne (plant), a genus of shrubs in the plant family Thymelaeaceae, noted for their scented flowers and poisonous berries
• Daphne (comedy), a British comedy trio

Daphne are a British comedy trio made up of comedians Jason Forbes, Phil Wang and George Fouracres.

Together they are the creators, writers and stars of the BBC Radio 4 series Daphne Sounds Expensive.