perfume

[pur-fyoom, per-fyoom, per-fyoom, pur-fyoom]

noun

1. a substance, extract, or preparation for diffusing or imparting an agreeable or attractive smell, especially a fluid containing fragrant natural oils extracted from flowers, woods, etc., or similar synthetic oils.

   Synonyms: incense, scent, attar, essence

2. the scent, odor, or volatile particles emitted by substances that smell agreeable.

   Antonyms: stench

verb (used with object)

perfumed, perfuming 

1. (of substances, flowers, etc.) to impart a pleasant fragrance to.

2. to impregnate with a sweet odor; scent.

perfume

noun

1. a mixture of alcohol and fragrant essential oils extracted from flowers, spices, etc, or made synthetically, used esp to impart a pleasant long-lasting scent to the body, stationery, etc See also cologne toilet water

2. a scent or odour, esp a fragrant one

verb

1. (tr) to impart a perfume to

Other Word Forms

• perfumeless adjective
• perfumy adjective
• unperfumed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perfume¹

First recorded in 1525–35; earlier parfume (noun), from Middle French parfum, noun derivative of parfumer (verb), from obsolete Italian parfumare (modern profumare ). See per-, fume

Word History and Origins

Origin of perfume¹

C16: from French parfum, probably from Old Provençal perfum, from perfumar to make scented, from per through (from Latin) + fumar to smoke, from Latin fumāre to smoke

Synonym Study

Perfume, aroma, fragrance all refer to agreeable odors. Perfume often indicates a strong, rich smell, natural or manufactured: the perfume of flowers. Fragrance is usually applied to fresh, delicate, and delicious odors, especially from growing things: fragrance of new-mown hay. Aroma is restricted to a somewhat spicy smell: the aroma of coffee.

Example Sentences

"The fungus is completely harmless to humans as longifolene is already commonly used in perfumes and has a long safety record," St. Leger said.

Read more on Science Daily

Gutierrez normally sells cleaning products from her home, but with fewer and fewer neighbors able to afford them, she took out a loan to buy snacks, drinks and perfumes to sell at the market.

Read more on Barron's

L.A. is in a coffee shop boom, with newcomers that pair brews with art, record store aesthetics and Korean perfumes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That early intimacy with flavor — the perfume of ghee, the rhythm of her mother’s kitchen — would eventually lead Selvaraju to a career celebrating Indian home cooking.

Read more on Salon

The retail network for perfume and makeup is fragmented, so companies need scale to offset the high fixed costs of manufacturing and distribution, said Luca Solca, luxury analyst at Bernstein.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• aroma 
• bouquet 
• incense 
• odor 
• oil 
• smell 
• spice