nosegay means 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. It carries an Arena rating of 1820, earned across 135 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, nosegay ranks #114 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #268 of 17,132 for Most Beautiful Words, #395 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #668 of 17,128 for Most Vivid Words.
nosegay is pronounced /ˈnəʊzɡeɪ/.
Why “nosegay” is a great word
NOSEGAY — [Noun] A small, fragrant bunch of flowers or herbs, tied for carrying to perfume the air or counter unpleasant smells. From the Middle English combination of 'nose' (from Old English *nosu*, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nas-*) and the obsolete noun 'gay', meaning a bright or ornamental object (from Old French *gai*, meaning cheerful or bright); first attested in the late 15th century. Unlike a 'bouquet' (which is a formal, decorative arrangement) or a 'posy' (which can be a single bloom with a verse), a nosegay is a handheld shield against stench, a portable charm of sweetness. It is crushed lavender and rosemary clutched in a gloved hand passing through a fetid street, tansy and rue tucked into a bodice to ward off miasma, a tiny, wilting knot of pinks and thyme held close to the face in a crowded room—a fragile, fragrant argument against the decay of the world.
Etymology
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
- 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.
- An aroma, a scent.e.g.“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.” — 2007 September 11, Donald G[erald] McNeil, Jr., “In India, a quest to ease the pain of the dying”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2018:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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