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:
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
They each carried a bouquet of white flowers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
Her bridal bouquet included sweet peas, myrtle – a tradition in Ms Sperling's family and for the Royal Family – and lily of the valley.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
Another sent an edible fruit bouquet from Australia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
With great composure—much more than I’d shown—Kyla laid her bouquet delicately at the edge of her podium and climbed onto my podium with me.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Cars slowly filed past the growing number of bouquets being left for her on the pavement.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 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
Fans have left bouquets of flowers, according to photos of the property posted to real estate websites.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
A line of simple white crosses with small bouquets at their foot marked a long row of individual graves.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
After these carriage rides, bouquets of “the richest and rarest” flowers arrived for Maggie, their seductive scent filling the bridal suite.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
