attar

noun

variants or less commonly otto
: a fragrant essential oil (as from rose petals)
also : fragrance

Examples of attar in a Sentence

exuding the attar of jasmine, the beautifully bejeweled woman set off for the ball
Recent Examples on the Web Queen Charlotte had an entire room at Windsor Castle dedicated to her snuff collection, her favorite of which was named Violet Strasbourg, a blend mixed with bitter almonds, ambergris, and attar. Lauren Puckett-Pope, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 May 2023 Costa Brazil’s Aroma mimics Amazonian resin with clearwood, myrrh and patchouli; Régime des Fleurs Tears is a woody incense undercut by the freshness of green cognac oil; and subscription-only brand Ffern’s latest takes a lush rose attar in a new and spicier direction via ho wood. Fiorella Valdesolo, WSJ, 23 June 2022 He’s also got pomegranate molasses, which is the red juice cooked down to a syrup; Aleppo pepper, an aromatic chile powder; tahini, homemade from sesame seeds and olive oil; and attar, a sugar syrup made with rose water or orange blossom water. BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2021 Try the Künefe dessert, made with spun pastry called kataifi, soaked in attar syrup, and layered with melted, unsalted cheese. Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 12 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'attar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Persian ʽaṭir perfumed, from Arabic, from ʽiṭr perfume

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of attar was in 1790

Dictionary Entries Near attar

Cite this Entry

“Attar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attar. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

attar

noun
at·​tar ˈat-ər How to pronounce attar (audio)
ˈa-ˌtär
: a fragrant oil that comes from a plant (as the rose) and is used in perfumes or flavorings
also : fragrance

Medical Definition

attar

noun
: a fragrant essential oil
especially : attar of roses
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