any of several ornamental shrubs with shiny mostly evergreen leaves and clusters of small bell-shaped flowers
"The gardener carefully pruned the daphne to encourage more of its fragrant, bell-shaped blooms next spring."
(Greek mythology) a nymph who was transformed into a laurel tree to escape the amorous Apollo
"In our Greek mythology lesson, we learned about Daphne, the nymph who turned into a laurel tree to escape Apollo's advances."
Any one of least 50 species of shrub in the genus Daphne of the family Thymelaeaceae, some of which are grown as ornamentals.
"The ancient gardeners carefully pruned the daphne to keep its fragrant blooms appearing early each spring."
A dryad pursued by Apollo, who was turned into a laurel tree by the river god Peneus.
"In his study of Greek mythology, he marveled at how Daphne escaped Apollo's advances only to be transformed into an evergreen laurel tree by her father, the river god Peneus."