laurel vs lei

laurel and lei both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
laurel	Yes	No	No	No
lei	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, lei is a hypernym of laurel; that is, lei is a word with a broader meaning than laurel:

laurel: (antiquity) a wreath of laurel foliage worn on the head as an emblem of victory
lei: flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes

Other hypernyms of laurel include chaplet, coronal, garland, wreath.

laurel (noun)	lei (noun)
(antiquity) a wreath of laurel foliage worn on the head as an emblem of victory	flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes
any of various aromatic trees of the laurel family