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• rosemary
  rosemary

  noun

  an evergreen shrub, Rosmarinus officinalis, of the mint family, native to the Mediterranean region, having leathery, narrow leaves and pale-blue, bell-shaped flowers, used as a seasoning and in perfumery and medicine: a traditional symbol of remembrance.
• Rosemary
  Rosemary

  noun

  a female given name.

rosemary

¹ American  

[rohz-mair-ee, -muh-ree] / ˈroʊzˌmɛər i, -mə ri /

noun

rosemaries plural

1. an evergreen shrub, Rosmarinus officinalis, of the mint family, native to the Mediterranean region, having leathery, narrow leaves and pale-blue, bell-shaped flowers, used as a seasoning and in perfumery and medicine: a traditional symbol of remembrance.

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Rosemary ² American  

[rohz-mair-ee, -muh-ree] / ˈroʊzˌmɛər i, -mə ri /

noun

1. a female given name.

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rosemary British  

/ ˈrəʊzmərɪ /

noun

1. an aromatic European shrub, Rosmarinus officinalis , widely cultivated for its grey-green evergreen leaves, which are used in cookery for flavouring and yield a fragrant oil used in the manufacture of perfumes: family Lamiaceae (labiates). It is the traditional flower of remembrance

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• rosemaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rosemary

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English rose mary (by folk etymology, influenced by rose ¹ and the name Mary ), from Latin rōs “dew” + marīnus “marine,” or rōs maris “dew of the sea” (in English the final -s mistaken for plural sign)

Example Sentences

Maybe you have looked at the clouds and imagined a sailboat, a seahorse, or even your great-aunt Rosemary staring back at you.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

He and his wife Chelsea welcomed London Rosemary Joy Freeman, with London a nod to Chelsea’s English family and Rosemary Joy Freeman as the full name of his late mother.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

She attended Choate Rosemary Hall, an exclusive boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, and went to Barnard College in New York.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

After their daughter's death Bob and his wife Rosemary reached out to politicians to raise the issue of bus safety.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

So did Rosemary, but as her best friend she had to.

From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen