defne
/defne/from spelling rules
defne is the Turkish word for laurel.
The word defne refers specifically to the bay laurel plant or its leaves used in cooking.
What does it mean word for word?
The word defne translates literally to laurel / bay laurel.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /defne/. The /f/ sound is like the [f] in [f]ood, and the /n/ sound is like the [n] in [n]ot.
Did you know?
- In Turkish culture, defne leaves are not just for cooking but are sometimes burned as incense to cleanse a space or ward off negative energy.
- The word defne is used as a feminine given name in Turkey, similar to how 'Olive' or 'Hazel' are used in English.
- The word defne is a direct linguistic descendant of the Greek word dáfni, which refers to the same plant. This connection links the Turkish word to ancient Mediterranean botanical traditions.
Examples in context
- Bayan Defne, memnun oldum. Benim adım Ali.Miss Defne, pleased to meet you. My name is Ali.
- Defne, nasılsın bugün?Defne, how are you today?
- Bahçede kocaman bir defne ağacı var.There is a huge laurel tree in the garden.
- Defne yapraklarını yemeğe eklemelisin.You should add laurel leaves to the meal.
- Defne kokusu çok huzur verici.The scent of laurel is very peaceful.
Example conversation
Zeynep and Emre are cooking a stew together in the kitchen.
- ZeynepEmre, defne yaprakları nerede?Emre, where are the bay leaves?
- EmreBaharat kutusunun içinde, Zeynep.They are inside the spice box, Zeynep.
- ZeynepTamam, şimdi defne ekliyorum.Okay, I am adding the bay leaf now.
- EmreHarika, yemeğin kokusu çok güzel olacak.Great, the meal will smell wonderful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry defne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries defne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
