Nosegay

[NOHZ-gey]Part of speech: noun

Origin: middle english, 15th century

A small bunch of flowers, typically one that is sweet-scented.
A gift of a small bouquet of flowers.

Examples of Nosegay in a sentence

Her daughter picked a nosegay that was mostly weeds, but she still loved it.
Each of the bridesmaids received a small nosegay wrapped in lace.

About Nosegay

Nosegay is a uniquely English term. Nose is, well, nose, and gay meant ornament in the 15th century. You could technically call the sparkly stud in your nostril a nosegay, but we'll stick to a small bouquet of flowers. Stay traditional and wrap it in a doily or even a silver nosegay holder.

Did you Know?

While today a nosegay is a small bunch of flowers often used at weddings, it used to be a common and useful accessory. In the 15th century hygiene wasn't up to our modern standards, and people were quite a bit smellier. A sweetly scented nosegay held to the face helped to avoid the most noxious aromas.