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.
Median renter income in New York City increased by 1.8%, 2024 census data shows, while rent inflation for the metro area rose by 4.7%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Clint Reilly, a Bay Area milkman’s son who rose to manage the campaigns of California’s most influential political figures, has died at age 79.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Revenue rose 10% to $3.94 billion, driven by increased fuel surcharge revenue paired with higher volume and pricing across merchandise, intermodal and coal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Shares rose as much as 3.5% in after-market trading when the news was released.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Even as Torak was wondering how to put that in wolf talk, a man rose from the long-fire and crossed the clearing towards him.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
‘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
The juice they produced will be used in a rosé that Limerick Lane Cellars in Healdsburg, Calif., plans to make next year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
I especially enjoy a 4 or 5 o’clock dinner on Sunday, when you can meet a friend and have a glass of rosé and something light to eat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2025
If you are buying a bottle of red, white or rosé then the specific year of the grape harvest is almost always written on the label.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2025
Rose had travelled to Hong Kong on 31 January 2024 after meeting the man while in Thailand a month earlier, according to court documents.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
In my reviewer’s copy, I found myself scrawling “bad idea!” in the margin, trying to warn Rose about him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Rose lives in Tecopa, population 120, among people who’ve chosen the isolation, quietude, natural beauty and brutal conditions on purpose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Teatro Nuovo presented two of them at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater last week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Decade by decade, the Mary Rose slipped deeper and deeper into the seabed until it was almost completely forgotten.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
The show began with a pre-recorded video of Mars praying in a church for a good performance, before he emerged beneath visuals of a stained-glass window in a red suit bejewelled with roses.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
We learned about the annual return of swallows, admired blooming roses and citrus trees and absorbed a simple story: Spanish conquistadors and Catholic priests tamed a wild land, and we should follow their example.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 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
Their garden now includes a greenhouse, a pond, hedges, raised beds and plenty of roses, with some of the design inspired by fellow gardener and author Alan Titchmarsh.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
Papa always used pruned lengths of the roses that climbed the little house, weaving them into a very loose topping, but those roses had burned when the old house had last year.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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
Chillable reds: White wines and rosés aren’t the only options when it’s hot.
From New York Times ● Jun. 25, 2022
If you think you don’t like rosé, explore different types, especially if you’ve only had the very pale rosés that are in vogue or tasted ones that seemed insipid or too sweet.
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
Picotee’s face was rosed over with the brilliance of some excitement.
From The Hand of Ethelberta by Hardy, Thomas
With slow foot The low rosed moon, the face of Music mute, Begins among her silent bars to climb.
From Poems — Volume 1 by Meredith, George
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 Shakespeare, William
Succourful daughters of men are the rosed and starred Revolving Twelves in their fluent germinal rings, Despite the burden to chasten, abase, depose.
From Poems — Volume 3 by Meredith, George
"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.
