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• rosemary
  rosemary

  noun

  an evergreen shrub, Rosmarinus officinalis, of the mint family, native to the Mediterranean region, having leathery, narrow leaves and pale-blue, bell-shaped flowers, used as a seasoning and in perfumery and medicine: a traditional symbol of remembrance.
• Rosemary
  Rosemary

  noun

  a female given name.

rosemary

¹ American  

[rohz-mair-ee, -muh-ree] / ˈroʊzˌmɛər i, -mə ri /

noun

rosemaries plural

1. an evergreen shrub, Rosmarinus officinalis, of the mint family, native to the Mediterranean region, having leathery, narrow leaves and pale-blue, bell-shaped flowers, used as a seasoning and in perfumery and medicine: a traditional symbol of remembrance.

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Rosemary ² American  

[rohz-mair-ee, -muh-ree] / ˈroʊzˌmɛər i, -mə ri /

noun

1. a female given name.

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rosemary British  

/ ˈrəʊzmərɪ /

noun

1. an aromatic European shrub, Rosmarinus officinalis , widely cultivated for its grey-green evergreen leaves, which are used in cookery for flavouring and yield a fragrant oil used in the manufacture of perfumes: family Lamiaceae (labiates). It is the traditional flower of remembrance

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• rosemaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rosemary

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English rose mary (by folk etymology, influenced by rose ¹ and the name Mary ), from Latin rōs “dew” + marīnus “marine,” or rōs maris “dew of the sea” (in English the final -s mistaken for plural sign)

Example Sentences

The judge read some of his mother Rosemary Peck's victim impact statement where she spoke of her love for Steven and how her heart has been broken.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Maybe you have looked at the clouds and imagined a sailboat, a seahorse, or even your great-aunt Rosemary staring back at you.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

He and his wife Chelsea welcomed London Rosemary Joy Freeman, with London a nod to Chelsea’s English family and Rosemary Joy Freeman as the full name of his late mother.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

She attended Choate Rosemary Hall, an exclusive boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, and went to Barnard College in New York.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Rosemary parks me at the end, beside Ipphy Bailey.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen