Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A small bunch of flowers; a bouquet.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A bunch of flowers used to regale the sense of smell; a posy; a bouquet.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A bunch of odorous and showy flowers; a bouquet; a posy.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A small bunch of
fragrant flowers orherbs , tied in abundle , often presented as agift on meeting, and originally intended to be put to thenose for the pleasant sensation, or to mask unpleasantodours .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Examples
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November 11, 2005 at 12: 53 pm nosegay is the best word … oh yea, its a real word. it means a small bunch of flowers
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And, snatching the nosegay from the basket, he flung the flowers as far into the air as he could, exclaiming,
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I learned that a nosegay is a bouquet of showy flowers.
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a paper frill round, and call a nosegay or a posy.
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The "pignus amoris" of the former is a small earthenware vessel in the shape of a book, intended apparently to hold a "nosegay" of flowers.
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Gilchrist and his heirs would not require the batsman to take a nosegay to the crease and they tend to set the fielding side's tempo by deed more than word, more orchestra conductors than circus ringmasters.
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The Philippines were gathered in as a child gathers a nosegay.
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In terms of bouquet styles, you have several options: a round hand-tied bouquet (the most popular choice), a cascading bouquet (which “spills” over the base), a teardrop shape (which is a combination of the round and cascading types), and the nosegay (a small cluster of flowers made with one dominant flower or color).
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The Californians want Washington to toss a struggling U.S. industry a budgetary nosegay.
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In terms of bouquet styles, you have several options: a round hand-tied bouquet (the most popular choice), a cascading bouquet (which “spills” over the base), a teardrop shape (which is a combination of the round and cascading types), and the nosegay (a small cluster of flowers made with one dominant flower or color).
sonofgroucho commented on the word nosegay
Almost always preceded by "fragrant".
October 3, 2007
brtom commented on the word nosegay
For the Poorman's nosegay is an introduction to a Prince. (from Jubilate Agno by Christopher Smart)
December 31, 2007
super-logos commented on the word nosegay
delightfully archaic
August 13, 2008