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• rose
  rose

  noun

  any of the wild or cultivated, usually prickly-stemmed, pinnate-leaved, showy-flowered shrubs of the genus Rosa.
• rosé
  rosé

  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.
• Rose
  Rose

  noun

  Billy, 1899–1966, U.S. theatrical producer.

rose

¹ American  

[rohz] / roʊz /

noun

• roses
  plural

1. any of the wild or cultivated, usually prickly-stemmed, pinnate-leaved, showy-flowered shrubs of the genus Rosa.

2. any of various related or similar plants.

3. the flower of any such shrub, of a red, pink, white, or yellow color.

4. the traditional reddish color of this flower, variously a purplish red, pinkish red, or light crimson.

5. an ornament shaped like or suggesting this flower.

6. a pink or pinkish-red color in the cheek.

7. rose window.

8. 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.

9. any of various diagrams showing directions radiating from a common center, as a compass card or wind rose.

10. Jewelry.

    1. an obsolete gem style or cut, flat on the bottom and having an upper side with from 12, or fewer, to 32 triangular facets.

    2. a gem with this cut.

11. 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.

12. an ornamental plate or socket surrounding the shaft of a doorknob at the face of a door.

13. 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 ).

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adjective

1. of the color rose.

2. for, containing, or growing roses.

   a rose garden.

3. scented like a rose.

verb (used with object)

rosed, rosing

1. to make rose-colored.

2. to flush (the face, cheeks, etc.).

idioms

1. 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.

2. 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.

rose ² American  

[rohz] / roʊz /

verb

1. simple past tense of rise.

2. Nonstandard. a past participle of rise.

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rosé ³ American  

[roh-zay] / roʊˈzeɪ /

noun

• rosés
  plural

1. a pale pink wine resembling white wine in taste, made from red grapes by removing the skins from the must before fermentation is completed.

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Rose ⁴ American  

[rohz] / roʊz /

noun

1. Billy, 1899–1966, U.S. theatrical producer.

2. Peter Edward PeteCharlie Hustle, born 1941, U.S. baseball player.

3. Mount, a mountain in W Nevada, the highest in the Carson Range. 10,778 feet (3,285 meters).

4. a female given name.

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rose ¹ British  

/ rəʊz /

noun

1. 1. any shrub or climbing plant of the rosaceous genus Rosa , typically having prickly stems, compound leaves, and fragrant flowers

   2. ( in combination )

      rosebush

      rosetree

2. the flower of any of these plants

3. any of various similar plants, such as the rockrose and Christmas rose

4. 1. a moderate purplish-red colour; purplish pink

   2. ( as adjective )

      rose paint

5. a rose, or a representation of one, as the national emblem of England

6. jewellery

   1. a cut for a diamond or other gemstone, having a hemispherical faceted crown and a flat base

   2. a gem so cut

7. 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

8. a design or decoration shaped like a rose; rosette

9. Also called: ceiling rose. electrical engineering a circular boss attached to a ceiling through which the flexible lead of an electric-light fitting passes

10. history See red rose white rose

11. a situation of comfort or ease

12. in secret; privately; sub rosa

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verb

1. (tr) to make rose-coloured; cause to blush or redden

rose ² British  

/ rəʊz /

verb

1. the past tense of rise

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rosé ³ British  

/ ˈrəʊzeɪ /

noun

1. 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

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rose More Idioms  

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

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• roseless
  adjective
• roselike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• roses
  plural
• rosés
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of rose¹

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”

Origin of rosé³

First recorded in 1425–75; from French: literally, “pink”; the variant blush wine first recorded in 1980–85

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Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rose rosé Rose roses rosés rosed rosing

Closer to home, it reports that spending across London's West End rose 15% in the first six days after Oxford Street was pedestrianised.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

Average hourly wages for permanent employees rose 2% on a year earlier, following a 2.3% rise in September.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

U.S. debt issuance rose from $20 billion two years ago to $217 billion so far in 2026.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

Humana raised its full-year earnings outlook as consolidated income and revenue rose in the third quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

As we reached the castle, the sun rose fully in the sky, its rays bursting all around the towers and turrets.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Amazon, meanwhile, poured millions into an immersive, acre-sized space complete with espresso martinis, a fountain spouting rosé and caricature artists drawing portraits of attendees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

In the near future, expect to see Skywalker Vineyards wines, including rosé, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

"Activated charcoal can remove the smoky taste from rosé and white wine," he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

"I love a chilled red and have done for quite a while," she says, calling it "rosé for grown-ups".

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 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

French luxury group Kering said Friday that British designer Martine Rose would take over at Balenciaga, following the departure of Pierpaolo Piccioli after just 18 months on the job.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

"Martine Rose embodies this spirit with a fresh, fearless and deeply contemporary vision."

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

State Drive, an ugly black roadway, separates the Science Center and its new addition from the park’s Rose Garden, and serves as a sad connector to the rest of the park.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

Megan Rose, 33, traveled from rural Virginia to Los Angeles with her partner to attend one of the shows.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

The revolutionary overhaul endowed the Mary Rose with the greatest naval military innovation of its time: hinged gunports.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Her trial last year drew podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to a courthouse in the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in Victoria better known for its prize-winning roses.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

The truck drives south, then west on Highway 46 through fields of almond trees and roses, before disappearing into an industrial zone near the farming center of Wasco.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

The title track opens the set with a patiently strummed acoustic guitar and Beck’s voice leading with “Yesterday / Paper roses they forgot to bloom.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Patterson's trial last year drew podcasters, film crews and true crime fans to a courthouse in the rural town of Morwell, a sedate hamlet in Victoria better known for its prize-winning roses.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

There’s a flurry of feathers, the sweet smell of roses, and a beat pulsing through the ground as we march.

From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender

Note: Different rosés will taste different, so adjust the lime juice and simple syrup to your liking.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 22, 2023

Some of my favorite rosés each year hail from Virginia, where Stinson, Early Mountain and Boxwood shine.

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

And start your patio party with either of these two rosés from France’s Mediterranean coast.

From Washington Post ● May 26, 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 Thomas Hardy

Picotee’s face was rosed over with the brilliance of some excitement. 

From The Hand of Ethelberta by Thomas Hardy

And does a cheek, like any sea-shell rosed, Or clear as widowed sky, seem most divine?

From Poems — Volume 1 by George Meredith

"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 Amélie Rives

Alas, a crimson river of warm blood, Like to a bubbling fountain stirr'd with wind, Doth rise and fall between thy rosed lips, Coming and going with thy honey breath.

From The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare

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 Abraham Merritt

Roses in a royal throng,   Surging, rosing from the east!

From The poetical works of George MacDonald in two volumes — Volume 2 by George MacDonald

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