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rose

1
[ rohz ]
/ roʊz /
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noun
adjective
verb (used with object), rosed, ros·ing.
to make rose-colored.
to flush (the face, cheeks, etc.).
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Idioms about rose

    come out smelling like a rose, to escape negative consequences, especially to find one’s good reputation unaffected by a bad situation or scandalous association.
    come up roses, to turn out all right; result in success, glory, or profit: Despite setbacks, things should come up roses in the long run.

Origin of rose

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English rōse, from Latin rosa; possibly via Etruscan ruze, rusi, a noun of uncertain meaning, from Greek rhodéa “rosebush,” from rhódon “rose”

OTHER WORDS FROM rose

rose·less, adjectiverose·like, adjective

Words nearby rose

Roscian, Roscius, roscoe, roscoelite, Roscommon, rose, rose acacia, Roseanna, rose aphid, rose apple, roseate

Other definitions for rose (2 of 4)

rose2
[ rohz ]
/ roʊz /
verb
simple past tense of rise.
Nonstandard. a past participle of rise.

Other definitions for rose (3 of 4)

Rose
[ rohz ]
/ roʊz /
noun
Billy, 1899–1966, U.S. theatrical producer.
Peter Edward "Pete"; "Charlie Hustle", born 1941, U.S. baseball player.
Mount, a mountain in W Nevada, the highest in the Carson Range. 10,778 feet (3,285 meters).
a female given name.

Other definitions for rose (4 of 4)

rosé
[ roh-zey ]
/ roʊˈzeɪ /
noun
a pale pink wine resembling white wine in taste, made from red grapes by removing the skins from the must before fermentation is completed.
Also called blush, blush wine .

Origin of rosé

First recorded in 1425–75; from French: literally, “pink”; the variant blush wine first recorded in 1980–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT ROSE

What does rose mean?

The rose is a bulbous, fragrant flower that comes in many different varieties and colors, including red, white, pink, and yellow. They are among the world’s most popular and best-known flowers.

The word rose can also refer to the plant on which roses grow, a shrub that’s commonly called a rosebush. Most rose plants are perennial shrubs. Roses are known for having sharp thorns on their stems.

Roses belong to the genus Rosa, which includes many different species and  cultivated varieties. Roses are popular in gardens, especially formal ones.

The kind of roses most commonly given as gifts are called hybrid tea roses. These are especially given as a symbol of romantic love, such as on special occasions like anniversaries or Valentine’s Day.

Different colors of roses are said to symbolize different things, especially when given as gifts. While all roses are associated with romantic love, red roses have an especially strong association. White roses can be used to represent innocence, while yellow roses can be used to represent friendship.

The rose is one of the June birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone).

The word rose is also used to refer to a color—variously a pinkish red, a purplish red, or a dark crimson (all of which can be colors of roses). The related adjective rosy is used to describe a reddish or pinkish tinge, often of skin, as in rosy cheeks.

Unrelatedly, the word rose is also the past tense of the verb rise.

Example: I know that sending a dozen red roses is a cliché, but my wife loves them.

Where does rose come from?

The first records of the word rose come from before the year 900. It comes from the Latin rosa, which is related to rhódon, the ancient Greek name for a rose.

Roses are native to different locations in Asia and other places throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, northern Africa, and Europe.

The rose has widespread cultural significance around the world. It is the national flower of England and is the state flower of New York, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Georgia.

Several idioms and expressions contain the word rose. To stop and smell the roses is to take time to enjoy life and its simple pleasures. To look at something through rose-colored glasses is to view a situation in an idealized way, without seeing any negative aspects. The expression every rose has its thorn means that even beautiful things or positive experiences have flaws. To come up smelling like roses is to emerge unscathed from a negative situation.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to rose?

What are some words that share a root or word element with rose? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing rose?

How is rose used in real life?

Roses are one of the most popular flowers to give as gifts. The rose has widespread cultural and symbolic significance and is especially associated with romantic love.

Try using rose!

True or False?

When referring to a color, the word rose can refer to a pinkish red, a purplish red, or a dark crimson.

Words related to rose

red, blush, flush, pink, rosette, rouge

How to use rose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rose (1 of 3)

rose1
/ (rəʊz) /
noun
verb
(tr) to make rose-coloured; cause to blush or redden

Derived forms of rose

roselike, adjective

Word Origin for rose

Old English, from Latin rosa, probably from Greek rhodon rose

British Dictionary definitions for rose (2 of 3)

rose2
/ (rəʊz) /
verb
the past tense of rise

British Dictionary definitions for rose (3 of 3)

rosé
/ (ˈrəʊzeɪ) /
noun
any pink wine, made either by removing the skins of red grapes after only a little colour has been extracted or by mixing red and white wines

Word Origin for rosé

C19: from French, literally: pink, from Latin rosa rose 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with rose

rose

see bed of roses; come up roses; see through rose-colored glasses.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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