noun
perfume
PURF-yoom
noun
1
A liquid with a pleasant scent, worn on the skin or clothing.
"She dabbed a little perfume on her wrists before the party."
2
A pleasant smell given off by something.
"The perfume of fresh roses filled the room."
verb
1
To give something a pleasant scent.
"Lavender bags were used to perfume the linen closet."
How to Use Perfume
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA scented liquid worn for its smell, or the pleasant smell itself.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
spray perfume
a bottle of perfume
the perfume of flowers
Word Forms
perfumed past tense, perfumes plural, perfumes singular
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She dabbed a little _____ on her wrists before the party.
Etymology
From Middle French parfum, ultimately from Latin per ("through") and fumare ("to smoke"), originally referring to scented smoke.