any of the wild or cultivated, usually prickly-stemmed, pinnate-leaved, showy-flowered shrubs of the genus Rosa.
any of various related or similar plants.
the flower of any such shrub, of a red, pink, white, or yellow color.
the traditional reddish color of this flower, variously a purplish red, pinkish red, or light crimson.
an ornament shaped like or suggesting this flower.
a pink or pinkish-red color in the cheek.
Heraldry. a representation of a wild rose with five petals, usually seeded and barbed in a symmetrical design and used especially as the cadency mark of a seventh son.
any of various diagrams showing directions radiating from a common center, as a compass card or wind rose.
Jewelry.
an obsolete gem style or cut, flat on the bottom and having an upper side with from 12, or fewer, to 32 triangular facets.
a gem with this cut.
a perforated cap or plate, as at the end of a pipe or the spout of a watering pot, to break a flow of water into a spray.
an ornamental plate or socket surrounding the shaft of a doorknob at the face of a door.
Mathematics. a plane polar curve consisting of three or more equal loops that meet at the origin. Equation: r = a sin(nθ ) or r = a cos(nθ ).
of the color rose.
for, containing, or growing roses.
a rose garden.
scented like a rose.
to make rose-colored.
to flush (the face, cheeks, etc.).
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.
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.
Billy, 1899–1966, U.S. theatrical producer.
Peter Edward PeteCharlie 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.
any shrub or climbing plant of the rosaceous genus Rosa , typically having prickly stems, compound leaves, and fragrant flowers
( in combination )
rosebush
rosetree
the flower of any of these plants
any of various similar plants, such as the rockrose and Christmas rose
a moderate purplish-red colour; purplish pink
( as adjective )
rose paint
a rose, or a representation of one, as the national emblem of England
jewellery
a cut for a diamond or other gemstone, having a hemispherical faceted crown and a flat base
a gem so cut
a perforated cap fitted to the spout of a watering can or the end of a hose, causing the water to issue in a spray
a design or decoration shaped like a rose; rosette
Also called: ceiling rose. electrical engineering a circular boss attached to a ceiling through which the flexible lead of an electric-light fitting passes
history See red rose white rose
a situation of comfort or ease
in secret; privately; sub rosa
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.
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”
First recorded in 1425–75; from French: literally, “pink”; the variant blush wine first recorded in 1980–85
A rose is a flower that people in love give each other. Even though Juliet says to Romeo, “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” don’t go calling it a dandelion. Roses have multi-layered petals and smell wonderfully sweet. They come in a wide variety of colors that can convey various meanings: a single red rose, for example, sometimes means, "I love you." Rose is also the past tense of rise, as in “Yesterday, the water rose to the top.” As an adjective, rose means "pink," and when the word is pronounced row-SAY, it means a rose-colored wine. The Latin source of rose is rosa, which probably comes from an Iranian root.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Earnings per share in the second quarter rose 26.5% compared to the same period last year to €7.59, beating Wall Street consensus of €6.80, according to LSEG.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Treasury yields rose in Asian trading but remained below Tuesday’s high, after the June CPI print missed expectations, pushing yields lower by the end of the day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Figures on Tuesday showed US consumer prices rose 3.5 percent last month, down from May's three-year high of 4.2 percent and the sharpest pullback in six years.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
But retail sales rose by 1% in June, improving from a 0.6% decrease in May.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
A deep voice rose above the shuddering of the wash drum agitators that floated out to the yard from the workroom.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
The storytelling is wonky, given the film’s competing needs to be Miranda-blunt about the modern magazine business while pairing marvelously with a glass of rosé.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
As ever, best known for its jam, sells products including rosé wine, teas, shortbread cookies and flower sprinkles.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026
‘Valentine’s Day is no longer all about roses and rosé … the stereotypical cliché gifts of the past are shifting to those that actually make everyday sense.’
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 13, 2026
The rosé flows, club music plays at tolerable volumes and you won’t find any conga lines or overserved patrons dancing on tables for Instagram likes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
It’s not a side salad or a starter or something you push around while drinking rosé.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2025
From the outside, Ariana Rose appeared to be a woman who lived a lavish lifestyle, driving expensive cars and wearing designer clothes.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
When she was alive, Wilder herself admitted that her novels were extensively embellished, mainly by her daughter Rose Wilder Lane.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Molly Haynes, a first-timer, posed with outstretched arms under a big red Buc-ee’s sign, while Rose Schneider captured the moment on her phone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
He made his comments during a Rose Garden speech on Monday touting “Trump accounts,” which are newly launched investment accounts for children under 18.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Seven was going to break Valley out of Blood Rose Manor if it was the last thing she did.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
He is known as 'The Florist' because he helps young players to blossom, and everything has come up roses for him again.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Lee kept some plants that have been growing in the yard for decades, like the jasmine climbing around the front of the house as well as the white roses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
One hundred roses and a cake will be placed at the site, a symbol of Hollywood's golden age and a popular tourist hotspot.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
The two men strolled quiet pathways dotted with Chinese roses and ornamental archways before taking tea and lunch in Xi’s private quarters.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
The Virgencita’s roses were still on my mind.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Note: Different rosés will taste different, so adjust the lime juice and simple syrup to your liking.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 22, 2023
Grahm is banking on an obscure grape called tibouren, which figures prominently in rosés grown around Saint-Tropez on the Côte d’Azur.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 28, 2022
The rest of the blend is cinsaut and mourvèdre, two grapes more familiar to fans of Provençal rosés.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 28, 2022
Chillable reds: White wines and rosés aren’t the only options when it’s hot.
From New York Times ● Jun. 25, 2022
And here are Eric’s picks of 12 exceptional rosés from $13 to $35.
From New York Times ● Jun. 20, 2022
He softly went nearer to her, and observed that a warm flush now rosed her hitherto blue cheeks, and felt that her hanging hand was no longer cold.
From Jude the Obscure by Hardy, Thomas
And does a cheek, like any sea-shell rosed, Or clear as widowed sky, seem most divine?
From Poems — Volume 1 by Meredith, George
She sank; she snatched at colours; they were peel Of fruit past savour, in derision rosed.
From Poems — Volume 3 by Meredith, George
Picotee’s face was rosed over with the brilliance of some excitement.
From The Hand of Ethelberta by Hardy, Thomas
"I feel like Jupiter!" he called, rubbing his sides, and back, standing on one foot to dry the other, his glossy skin all rosed in patches from his vigorous rubbing.
From Shadows of Flames A Novel by Rives, Amélie
Roses in a royal throng, Surging, rosing from the east!
From The poetical works of George MacDonald in two volumes — Volume 2 by MacDonald, George
I found a thicket and slept; slept it must have been for many hours, for when I again awakened the dawn was rosing the east.
From The Moon Pool by Merritt, Abraham
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.
