Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: French
Origin: parfum, probably from Old Provençal perfumar 'to perfume', from Latin fumare 'to smoke'

perfume

1 noun
     
perfume
Related topics: Odours, Hair and Beauty
per‧fume1 [uncountable and countable]
1DCBCO a liquid with a strong pleasant smell that women put on their skin or clothing to make themselves smell nice [= scent]:
She was wearing the perfume that he'd bought her.
2CO a sweet or pleasant smell [= scent]:
It had the delicate perfume of roses.
—perfumed adjective:
perfumed soap
WORD FOCUS: smell WORD FOCUS: smell
good smell: aroma, perfume, fragrance, scent
bad smell: stink, stench, odour British English/odor American English, whiff, pong British English

➔ See also smell
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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