perfume

¹per·fume

noun \ˈpər-ˌfyüm, (ˌ)pər-ˈ\

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

Examples of PERFUME

1. She smelled the different perfumes at the store.
2. <the perfume of fresh flowers filled the room>

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

First Known Use: 1533

Related to PERFUME

Synonyms: aroma, attar (also otto), balm, bouquet, fragrancy, incense, fragrance, redolence, scent, spice

Antonyms: fetor, malodor, reek, stench, stink

Related Words: essence, odor

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See Synonym Discussion at fragrance

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