nosegay
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nosegay
- /ˈnəʊzɡeɪ/ UK
- /ˈnoʊzˌɡeɪ/ US
Where it comes from
From Late Middle English nōsegai (?), from nōse (“nose”) (from Old English nosu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nas- (“nose”)) + gai (“a bright or gay object; an ornament”) (from Old French gai (“cheerful, gay, happy”)); equivalent to nose + gay.
noun nosegays
-
A small bunch of fragrant flowers or herbs tied in a bundle, often presented as a gift; nosegays were originally intended to be put to the nose for the pleasant sensation or to mask unpleasant odours.
[N]o more is Pierce Pennileſſe to be cald the Devils Orator for making a Supplication to the Devill, than hee is to bee helde for a Rhethoritian for ſetting foorth Gabrielis Scurvei Rhetor, wherein hee thought to have knockt out the braines of poore Tullies Orator, but in veritie did nothing elſe, b
Similar: posy
- An aroma, a scent. The 80-year-old Government Opium and Alkaloid Works in Neemuch smells better than it looks. The turfy-chocolaty nosegay of raw opium wafts from hundreds of milk cans.
Translations
Every language
noun small bunch of fragrant flowers or herbs
| Español | ramillete |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 꽃다발 kkotdabal, 부케 buke |
| 日本語 | but see 花束 hanataba, ブーケ būke |
| 中文 | 花束 huāshù |
| Português | ramalhete |
| Français | petit bouquet |
| Deutsch | Biedermeiersträußchen, Blumensträußchen, Sträußchen |
| Italiano | erbe aromatiche, mazzetto, mazzolino |
| Русский | буке́тик bukétik, буке́т bukét |
Talk about this word "nosegay." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/nosegay. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. nosegay. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/nosegay "nosegay." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/nosegay.Cite this
@misc{nosegay_2026,
title = {nosegay},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/nosegay},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
