rose water

¹

or rose·wa·ter

[ rohz-waw-ter, ‐-wot-er ]

noun

1. water tinctured with the essential oil of roses, used as a perfume and in cooking.

rose-water

²

[ rohz-waw-ter, -wot-er ]

adjective

1. having the aroma or fragrance of rose water.
2. affectedly delicate, nice, or fine; sentimental:

   a Victorian novelist with a genteel, rose-water style.

rose-water

noun

1. 1. scented water used as a perfume and in cooking, made by the distillation of rose petals or by impregnation with oil of roses
   2. ( as modifier )

      rose-water scent

2. modifier elegant or delicate, esp excessively so

Word History and Origins

Origin of rose water¹

First recorded in 1350–1400

Origin of rose water²

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

So Mr Jain decided to turn his roses into rose water and rose oil.

From BBC

In another scene, they dab Mama’s rose water on their wrists and imagine “that this is what Cleopatra or Nefertiti must have smelled like.”

From New York Times

Consider some of the dishes on the 2022 menu: carrot kebab with grapefruit; barley with pork broth and rose water; and beef tongue with seaweed crystal.

From New York Times

Malabi is rose water milk pudding — delicate in flavor, firm but creamy, not too sweet — most often topped with a simple berry sauce and chopped pistachios.

From Washington Post

“The saffron, the rose water, those flavors are very home for me,” Petrossian says.

From Los Angeles Times