Nearby Words
Synonyms

nosegay

[nohz-gey] Origin

nose·gay

[nohz-gey]
noun
a small bunch of flowers; bouquet; posy.

Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English: literally, a gay (obsolete, something pretty; see gay) for the nose (i.e., to smell)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Nosegay is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
Collins
World English Dictionary
nosegay (ˈnəʊzˌɡeɪ)
 
n
a small bunch of flowers; posy
 
[C15: from nose + archaic gay a toy]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

nosegay
"bunch of flowers," early 15c., from nose + gay.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

nosegay

small, hand-held bouquet popular in mid- 19th-century Victorian England as an accessory carried by fashionable ladies. Composed of mixed flowers and herbs and edged with a paper frill or greens, the arrangement was sometimes inserted into a silver filigree holder. When supplied by an admirer, a nosegay became a vehicle for the floral "language of love"-e.g., a red tulip was a declaration of love; a sprig of dogwood returned by the young lady was a sign of indifference; a variegated pink meant that she rejected her suitor's affection. This variety of bouquet has enjoyed periodic revivals.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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