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:
At a portrait of Yevgeni Postel, a 25-year-old student, his mother laid a bouquet of flowers and broke down sobbing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Along with the technicolor mural, Caland’s singular sensibility persists in scattered drawings, a bouquet of her preferred 30-inch paintbrushes and a pair of stiff-backed pews.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 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
Beside her stood an ornate table featuring three tiny golden bottles etched with Mrs. Baudelaire's emblem—a bouquet of flowers tied together by a serpent—and a pile of lace handkerchiefs and three glass rods.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
The arrests, carried out in collaboration with the police, followed a tip-off that led to a swoop on the suspects, all women, accused of selling the bouquets in different parts of the capital, Accra.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Gao and his bride-to-be, Dong Peipei, lined up in Nanjing to complete their official paperwork alongside other couples toting selfie sticks, bouquets and even pets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
At the base of the charred pine are dozens of bouquets — roses, daisies and white lilies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Carrying bouquets of flowers, relatives arrived to identify their loved ones or receive their bodies for burial.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 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.
