pomander

po·man·der   (pō'mān'dər, pō-mān'-)    n.   A mixture of aromatic substances enclosed in a bag or box as a protection against odor or infection, formerly worn on one's person but now usually placed in a dresser drawer or closet. A case, box, or bag for holding this mixture. [Middle English pomendambre, alteration of Old French pome d'embre, apple of amber, from Medieval Latin pōmum dē ambrā : pōmum, apple, ball (from Latin, fruit) + Latin dē, of; see de- + ambrā, ablative of ambra, amber; see amber.]

Main Entry: po·man·der
Pronunciation: 'pO-"man-d&r, pO-'
Function: noun
: a mixture of aromatic substances enclosed in a perforated bag orbox and used to scent clothes and linens or formerly carried as a guard against infection; also : a clove-studded orange or apple used for the same purposes

pomander

small metal (sometimes china) container designed to hold a ball of aromatic spices or herbs. Worn suspended from neck or girdle or attached to the finger by a ring, it was believed to be a protection against infections and noxious smells. As fashionable jewelry in the late Middle Ages, pomanders were decorative objects often enriched with gems and enamels. Late in the 16th century, the original sphere shape was divided into several segments in order to accommodate a variety of powdered spices, and soon afterward pomanders in the form of dice, skulls, and books appeared.

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