First Known Use: 1533
Dictionary
1perfume
noun per·fume \ˈpər-ˌfyüm, (ˌ)pər-ˈ\
: a liquid substance that you put on your body in small amounts in order to smell pleasant
: a pleasant smell
Full Definition of PERFUME
1
: the scent of something sweet-smelling
2
: a substance that emits a pleasant odor; especially : a fluid preparation of natural essences (as from plants or animals) or synthetics and a fixative used for scenting
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Origin of PERFUME
Middle French perfum, probably from Old Occitan, from perfumar to perfume, from per- thoroughly (from Latin) + fumar to smoke, from Latin fumare, from fumus smoke — more at fume
Related to PERFUME
Synonym Discussion of PERFUME
fragrance, perfume, scent, redolence mean a sweet or pleasant odor. fragrance suggests the odors of flowers or other growing things <the fragrance of pine>. perfume may suggest a stronger or heavier odor <the perfume of lilacs>. scent is very close to perfume but of wider application because more neutral in connotation <scent-free soaps>. redolence implies a mixture of fragrant or pungent odors <the redolence of a forest after a rain>.
Rhymes with PERFUME
abloom, assume, backroom, ballroom, barroom, bathroom, bedroom, boardroom, bridegroom, broadloom, chat room, checkroom, classroom, clean room, cloakroom, coatroom, consume, costume, courtroom, darkroom, dayroom, entomb, enwomb, exhume, foredoom, front room, great room, greenroom, guardroom, gun room, headroom, heirloom, homeroom, houseroom, illume, inhume, jibboom, Khartoum, legroom, legume, lunchroom, men's room, mudroom, mushroom, newsroom, playroom, poolroom, pressroom, presume, push broom, relume, restroom, resume, salesroom, schoolroom, Scotch broom, sea room, showroom, sickroom, simoom, squad room, stateroom, stockroom, storeroom, strong room, subsume, sunroom, taproom, Targum, tearoom, throne room, toolroom, wardroom, washroom, weight room, whisk broom, white room, workroom
2perfume
verb per·fume \(ˌ)pər-ˈfyüm, ˈpər-ˌ\
: to fill or cover (something) with a pleasant smell
: to put perfume in or on (something)
per·fumedper·fum·ing
Full Definition of PERFUME
transitive verb
: to fill or imbue with an odor
See perfume defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of PERFUME
1531
PERFUMED Defined for Kids
1perfume
noun per·fume \ˈpər-ˌfyüm\
Definition of PERFUME for Kids
1
: a liquid used to make a person smell nice
2
: a pleasant smell : fragrance
2perfume
verb per·fume \pər-ˈfyüm\
per·fumedper·fum·ing
Definition of PERFUME for Kids
: to add a usually pleasant odor to : have the odor of
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