cologne

noun

co·​logne kə-ˈlōn 

1

: a perfumed liquid composed of alcohol and fragrant oils

2

: a cream or paste of cologne sometimes formed into a semisolid stick

cologned

kə-ˈlōnd 

adjective

Examples of cologne in a Sentence

She put on some cologne and combed her hair.

a TV commercial for men's cologne

TV commercials for men's colognes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Men’s cologne, for instance, came in second after beauty devices by year-over-year growth, while travel sprays and body and hair mists also nabbed respective spots on the ranking. —Noor Lobad, WWD, 18 Feb. 2025

Men wore different colors of military uniforms and emitted heavy cologne. —Caitlin L. Chandler, The Dial, 6 Mar. 2025

Dollar growth is fastest among Gen Z, according to NIQ, which reports the cohort’s cologne and perfume spend is up 60.7 percent year-over-year, followed by Millennials’ 26.2 percent growth in spend. —Noor Lobad, WWD, 10 Dec. 2024

There will be tourists wearing tons of cologne and, like, Mickey Mouse shorts. —Brian Raftery, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Cologne, Germany

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cologne

• eau de cologne

Rhymes for cologne

• alone
• atone
• backbone
• bemoan
• bluestone
• breastbone
• brownstone
• capstone
• cheekbone
• condone
• curbstone
• cyclone

Kids Definition

cologne

noun

co·​logne kə-ˈlōn 

: a liquid similar to perfume but not as strongly scented or as long-lasting

Etymology

named for Cologne, city in Germany where it was first made

Geographical Definition

Cologne

geographical name

Co·​logne kə-ˈlōn 

variants or German Köln

ˈkœln 

city on the Rhine River in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany population 1,005,775