What is "sweet bay"

Laurel \Lau"rel\, n. [OE. lorel, laurer, lorer, OF. lorier, laurier, F. laurier, (assumed) LL. Laurarius, fr. L. laurus.]

1. (Bot.) An evergreen shrub, of the genus Laurus ( Laurus nobilis), having aromatic leaves of a lanceolate shape, with clusters of small, yellowish white flowers in their axils; -- called also sweet bay.

   Note: The fruit is a purple berry. It is found about the Mediterranean, and was early used by the ancient Greeks to crown the victor in the games of Apollo. At a later period, academic honors were indicated by a crown of laurel, with the fruit. The leaves and tree yield an aromatic oil, used to flavor the bay water of commerce.

   Note: The name is extended to other plants which in some respect resemble the true laurel. See Phrases, below.

2. A crown of laurel; hence, honor; distinction; fame; -- especially in the plural; as, to win laurels.

3. An English gold coin made in 1619, and so called because the king's head on it was crowned with laurel.

   Laurel water, water distilled from the fresh leaves of the cherry laurel, and containing prussic acid and other products carried over in the process.

   American laurel, or Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia; called also calico bush. See under Mountain.

   California laurel, Umbellularia Californica.

   Cherry laurel (in England called laurel). See under Cherry.

   Great laurel, the rosebay ( Rhododendron maximum).

   Ground laurel, trailing arbutus.

   New Zealand laurel, the Laurelia Nov[ae] Zelandi[ae].

   Portugal laurel, the Prunus Lusitanica.

   Rose laurel, the oleander. See Oleander.

   Sheep laurel, a poisonous shrub, Kalmia angustifolia, smaller than the mountain laurel, and with smaller and redder flowers.

   Spurge laurel, Daphne Laureola.

   West Indian laurel, Prunus occidentalis.

Swamp \Swamp\, n. [Cf. AS. swam a fungus, OD. swam a sponge, D. zwam a fungus, G. schwamm a sponge, Icel. sv["o]ppr, Dan. & Sw. swamp, Goth. swamms, Gr. somfo`s porous, spongy.] Wet, spongy land; soft, low ground saturated with water, but not usually covered with it; marshy ground away from the seashore. Gray swamps and pools, waste places of the hern. --Tennyson. A swamp differs from a bog and a marsh in producing trees and shrubs, while the latter produce only herbage, plants, and mosses. --Farming Encyc. (E. Edwards, Words). Swamp blackbird. (Zo["o]l.) See Redwing (b) . Swamp cabbage (Bot.), skunk cabbage. Swamp deer (Zo["o]l.), an Asiatic deer ( Rucervus Duvaucelli) of India. Swamp hen. (Zo["o]l.)

1. An Australian azure-breasted bird ( Porphyrio bellus); -- called also goollema.

2. An Australian water crake, or rail ( Porzana Tabuensis); -- called also little swamp hen.

3. The European purple gallinule.

   Swamp honeysuckle (Bot.), an American shrub ( Azalea viscosa syn. Rhododendron viscosa or Rhododendron viscosum) growing in swampy places, with fragrant flowers of a white color, or white tinged with rose; -- called also swamp pink and white swamp honeysuckle.

   Swamp hook, a hook and chain used by lumbermen in handling logs. Cf. Cant hook.

   Swamp itch. (Med.) See Prairie itch, under Prairie.

   Swamp laurel (Bot.), a shrub ( Kalmia glauca) having small leaves with the lower surface glaucous.

   Swamp maple (Bot.), red maple. See Maple.

   Swamp oak (Bot.), a name given to several kinds of oak which grow in swampy places, as swamp Spanish oak ( Quercus palustris), swamp white oak ( Q. bicolor), swamp post oak ( Q. lyrata).

   Swamp ore (Min.), bog ore; limonite.

   Swamp partridge (Zo["o]l.), any one of several Australian game birds of the genera Synoicus and Excalfatoria, allied to the European partridges.

   Swamp robin (Zo["o]l.), the chewink.

   Swamp sassafras (Bot.), a small North American tree of the genus Magnolia ( M. glauca) with aromatic leaves and fragrant creamy-white blossoms; -- called also sweet bay.

   Swamp sparrow (Zo["o]l.), a common North American sparrow ( Melospiza Georgiana, or M. palustris), closely resembling the song sparrow. It lives in low, swampy places.

   Swamp willow. (Bot.) See Pussy willow, under Pussy.

n. (alternative nametrue laurel), ''to distinguish it from related species''

n. shrub or small tree having rather small fragrant white flowers; abundant in southeastern United States [syn: swamp bay, swamp laurel, Magnolia virginiana]