nosegay

[nohz-gey]

noun

1. a small bunch of flowers; bouquet; posy.

nosegay

/ ˈnəʊzˌɡeɪ /

noun

1. a small bunch of flowers; posy

Word History and Origins

Origin of nosegay¹

1375–1425; late Middle English: literally, a gay (obsolete, something pretty; gay ) for the nose (i.e., to smell)

Word History and Origins

Origin of nosegay¹

C15: from _nose + archaic gay a toy

Example Sentences

She was magnificent, pink-fleshed and naked, holding a nosegay of flowers, dark hair streaming as she strode across the cliff.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Pop tip cuttings into a small vase for a fragrant nosegay.

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Ms. Zoller walked down the aisle carrying a nosegay of lily of the valley blooms, her grandmother’s favorite, from her own garden.

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They tried to stop this foul air from reaching them by covering their faces or clutching sweet-smelling nosegays.

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In 1859, Nightingale wrote that when she had been ill, her recovery quickened after she received “a nosegay of wild flowers”.

Read more on The Guardian