lau·re·ate
(lôr′ē-ĭt, lŏr′-)adj.1. Worthy of the greatest honor or distinction: "The nation's pediatrician laureate is preparing to lay down his black bag" (James Traub).
2. Crowned or decked with laurel as a mark of honor.
3. Archaic Made of laurel sprigs, as a wreath or crown.
n.1. One honored or awarded a prize for great achievements especially in the arts or sciences: a Nobel laureate.
2. A poet laureate.
[Middle English, from Latin laureātus, adorned with laurel, from laurea, crown of laurel, from feminine of laureus, of laurel, from laurus, laurel.]
lau′re·ate·ship′ n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.