bay rum


noun
  1. a fragrant liquid used chiefly as an aftershaving lotion, prepared by distilling the leaves of the tropical American bay, Pimenta racemosa, with rum or by mixing oil from the leaves with alcohol, water, and other oils.

Origin of bay rum

1
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Words Nearby bay rum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bay rum in a sentence

  • You see, he'd forgot to buy any rum when we was in our last port and, havin' the bay rum along he fetched that.

    The Rise of Roscoe Paine | Joseph C. Lincoln
  • A charming addition to the safety razor is a little fountain attachment that sprinkles the user with bay rum.

  • If sufficient friction can not be given, a small amount of bay rum applied with the palm of the hand will be found efficacious.

  • Ysobel crowded into a corner and nudged a youthful-looking old man in a blue-and-white striped collar and too much bay-rum.

    Just Around the Corner | Fannie Hurst
  • I'm like Joel Knowles—he said when he couldn't get whisky he worried along best he could with bay rum.

    The Woman-Haters | Joseph C. Lincoln

British Dictionary definitions for bay rum

bay rum

noun
  1. an aromatic liquid, used in medicines and cosmetics, originally obtained by distilling the leaves of the bayberry tree (Pimenta racemosa) with rum: now also synthesized from alcohol, water, and various oils

  2. bay rum tree another name for bayberry (def. 2)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012