perfume

noun per·fume \ ˈpər-ˌfyüm , (ˌ)pər-ˈfyüm \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

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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Examples of perfume in a Sentence

She smelled the different perfumes at the store.
the perfume of fresh flowers filled the room

Recent Examples of perfume from the Web

In fact, castoreum has found its way to perfumes, and some food products have included castoreum in their products.

— don reisinger, Fortune, "This Bourbon's Secret Ingredient Comes From a Beaver," 13 June 2018
Not only is olive oil at the heart of almost every dish that comes from the Mediterranean, the oil is used by cultures in the region as body wash, perfume, medicine and lamp fluid.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "This 4,000-Year-Old Jar Contains Italy’s Oldest Olive Oil," 4 June 2018
That would mean having to ditch a few of my favorite things, like my go-to $124 Gucci perfume, or the face mask that revives my skin overnight (while also robbing me of $50 even faster than that).

— samantha sasso, refinery29.com, "I Tried 8 New Drugstore Mascaras — & The Best One Is Only $5," 2 June 2018
This is the kind of summer anthem that burns slow and lingers like your ex's perfume.

— kat bein, Billboard, "DVBBS & blackbear Got Beats You Can't Get Over With 'IDWK': Listen," 1 June 2018
These organic compounds, called aldehydes, are found in citrus fruit rinds, as well as in off-the-shelf perfumes, including Chanel No.

— kevin schafer, National Geographic, "These Birds Make Their Own Citrus-Scented Cologne," 25 May 2018
The victim advised backpack, perfume, shipping bag and other miscellaneous items were taken from inside the vehicle.

— Houston Chronicle, "Bellaire Police report," 21 May 2018
Sure, different fragrance families are often marketed to different sexes, but that doesn't mean a guy can't rock a perfume, or a woman can't wear a cologne.

— helena yeung, Teen Vogue, "Kim Kardashian Responds to Unisex Body Fragrance Comments on Social Media," 30 Apr. 2018
The entire Baja California peninsula — and a small part of neighboring Sonora — for decades was known as a Zona Libre, a duty-free zone for everything from perfumes to electronics to high-end clothing.

— sandra dibble, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Will Mexico's next president lower taxes, eliminate tariffs in Baja California?," 28 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perfume.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1593

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year