nosegay
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of nosegay
1375–1425; late Middle English: literally, a gay (obsolete, something pretty; see gay) for the nose (i.e., to smell)
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.
Pop tip cuttings into a small vase for a fragrant nosegay.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 6, 2022
In 1859, Nightingale wrote that when she had been ill, her recovery quickened after she received “a nosegay of wild flowers”.
From The Guardian • Mar. 14, 2020
The tradition of carrying myrtle began after Queen Victoria was given a nosegay containing myrtle by Prince Albert's grandmother during a visit to Gotha in Germany.
From BBC • Oct. 12, 2018
Dried flowers; a nosegay, a posy, a rose clipped the night before battle.
From The Verge • Mar. 31, 2018
“They’re beautiful,” I say as he offers me a small, tight nosegay of calla lilies so purple they’re almost black.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
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.
