rosette

noun ro·sette \ rō-ˈzet \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Definition of rosette

1 : an ornament usually made of material gathered or pleated so as to resemble a rose and worn as a badge of office, as evidence of having won a decoration (such as the Medal of Honor), or as trimming

2 : a disk of foliage or a floral design usually in relief used as a decorative motif

3 : a structure or color marking on an animal suggestive of a rosette; especially : one of the groups of spots on a leopard

4 : a cluster of leaves in crowded circles or spirals arising basally from a crown (as in the dandelion) or apically from an axis with greatly shortened internodes (as in many tropical palms)

5 : a food decoration or garnish in the shape of a rose

icing rosettes

carrot rosettes

See rosette defined for English-language learners

See rosette defined for kids

Examples of rosette in a Sentence

a rosette of chocolate frosting
Rosettes are carved in the base of the statue.

Recent Examples of rosette from the Web

The dark green leaves are heavily spined and form a stiff rosette.

— karen dardick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Bromeliads create garden drama," 17 May 2018
Her cuffs allow a lone rosette to be cradled in moss.

— clare miers, star-telegram, "'Always a talking piece': Hardy succulents encourage container creativity | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 5 Apr. 2018
Neoregelia cruenta is a large bromeliad that grows in a rosette form and can attain a size of 2 feet across under optimal growing conditions, although under 18 inches is more common.

— karen dardick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Bromeliads create garden drama," 17 May 2018
The King of Kings Hot Dog lives up to its name: a slender tube of mystery meat carved into delicate petals, as elegant as a radish rosette.

— hannah goldfield, The New Yorker, "At Le Sia, Find Nirvana in Crawfish Domination," 4 June 2017
Here are a few of our favorites: ► Echeveria — This varied group of rosette-forming succulents is native to South and Central America, found in dry, rocky hills.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "Why your 'great garden intentions' should center around succulents," 11 May 2018
Yuccas have fearsome leaf tips; aloes and agaves offer softer rosettes of foliage.

— adrian higgins, sacbee, "Container culture – these pots do lots | The Sacramento Bee," 11 May 2018
With a little rosette of leaves and bright pink flowers dancing above, this denizen of dry, rocky hillsides found its way into a few gardens here and there.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "This is the superhero of your garden. But, it's not what you'd expect," 20 Apr. 2018
Valsamis even created another version of the look, with three adorable rosettes.

— rebecca norris, Allure, "This Rose-Shaped Updo Is My New Favorite Spring Hairstyle," 13 Apr. 2018

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