Word of the Day

: February 3, 2013

redolent

adjective RED-uh-lunt

What It Means

1 : exuding fragrance : aromatic

2 a : full of a specified fragrance : scented

b : evocative, suggestive

redolent in Context

The house was redolent with the aroma of baking bread.

"Clam chowder, redolent of sweet cream and thick with clams and diced carrots, was a hearty companion for the numerous panini (which can be made with gluten-free bread)." - From a restaurant review by Christina Mueller in the Marin Independent Journal, January 2, 2013

Did You Know?

"Redolent" traces back to the Latin verb "olēre" ("to smell") and is a relative of "olfactory" ("of, relating to, or connected with the sense of smell"). In its earliest English uses in the 15th century, "redolent" simply meant "having an aroma." Today, it usually applies to a place or thing impregnated with odors. It can also be used of something that reminds us of something else or evokes a certain emotional response, as in "a city redolent of antiquity."