laureate

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. adj. Worthy of the greatest honor or distinction: "The nation's pediatrician laureate is preparing to lay down his black bag” ( James Traub).
2. adj. Crowned or decked with laurel as a mark of honor.
3. adj. Archaic Made of laurel sprigs, as a wreath or crown.
4. n. One honored or awarded a prize for great achievements especially in the arts or sciences: a Nobel laureate.
5. n. A poet laureate.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To put a wreath of laurel upon the head of; crown with laurel, as formerly in conferring a degree in a university.
2. To invest with the office of poet laureate.
3. Crowned with laurel as a mark of distinction; decked with laurel.
4. In numismatical descriptions, wearing a laurel wreath: said of a human head, a bust, etc.: as, the head of the emperor Nero, laureate.—
5. n. One crowned with laurel; a poet laureate; an officially appointed or recognized poet.
6. n. In the musical conservatories of Paris and Brussels, a pupil who gains the Prix de Rome.
7. n. In some educational institutions in the United States, a degree given to women instead of ‘Bachelor’ and ‘Master’: as, Laureate of Science, etc.
8. n. In numismatics, same as laurel, 5.

Wiktionary

1. adj. Crowned, or decked, with laurel.
2. n. dated One crowned with laurel; a poet laureate
3. n. A graduate of a university
4. v. intransitive To honor with a wreath of laurel, as formerly was done in bestowing a degree at English universities.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. Crowned, or decked, with laurel.
2. n. One crowned with laurel; a poet laureate.
3. n. A person who has been presented with an award for some distinguished achievement.
4. v. To honor with a wreath of laurel, as formerly was done in bestowing a degree at the English universities.

WordNet 3.0

1. adj. worthy of the greatest honor or distinction
2. n. someone honored for great achievements; figuratively someone crowned with a laurel wreath