noun
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a bunch of flowers, esp a large carefully arranged one
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Also called: nose. the characteristic aroma or fragrance of a wine or liqueur
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a compliment or expression of praise
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bouquet
1710–20; < French: bunch, originally thicket, grove; Old French bosquet, equivalent to bosc wood (< Germanic; see bosk, bush 1) + -et -et
Explanation
A bouquet is an arrangement of flowers. A simple bouquet of flowers from your garden makes a lovely centerpiece for your table or a nice hostess gift when you are a guest. The word bouquet comes from the Old French term meaning "clump of trees." Because it would be difficult for a bride to lug a clump of trees down the aisle at her wedding, thankfully the word now means "a small bunch of arranged flowers." Bouquet can also describe the scent of these flowers, or anything that is a blend of scents, like perfume or wine.
Vocabulary lists containing bouquet
The Nose Knows: Olfactory Vocabulary
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"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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"O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It isn’t as if she doesn’t have several plans B. And it gives “Techniquely” a winningly informal bouquet, especially when the jokes fall flat and she collapses, mock-groaning, on the cutting board.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
She didn’t even end up holding her bouquet in many pictures because she didn’t want it to cover her dress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
A bottle of shampoo, cold medicine, a bouquet, a midnight snack, or even diapers can now arrive at an apartment door in roughly the time it takes to watch a sitcom.
From Barron's ● May 23, 2026
Labour MSPs had their traditional red rose, Reform UK a Scottish heather, the Greens what appeared to be a fuchsia pink gerbera and the Liberal Democrats a mini-mixed bouquet.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
Here’s one from a few years earlier: Mrs. Roodveldt’s bridal portrait, her eyes lowered, a lace veil covering her hair and a small bouquet of lilacs in her hands.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
The markers were engraved with butterflies, with pairs of butterfly-shaped flower arrangements next to the graves along with bouquets containing a mix of white and purple roses, daisies and carnations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Carrying bouquets of flowers, relatives arrived to identify their loved ones or receive their bodies for burial.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
For all the bouquets thrown in England's direction, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford still needed to pull off a vital save from Igor Matanovic with the score at 3-2, before Rashford settled nerves.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
Tip your helmet and toss Grant her bouquets — flower power — because there she is popping up on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and on the MLB Network.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026
Francie went to her desk, reasoning that a girl had placed one of her bouquets there for a moment.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
