A fragrant liquid made from essential oils and alcohol, worn to give a pleasant scent to the body.
From French parfum, from Italian profumo, from Latin per- meaning 'through' + fumus meaning 'smoke'. Originally referred to scents created by burning aromatic substances, later applied to liquid fragrances.
The journey from smoke to liquid reveals ancient attitudes toward scent - early perfumes were literally 'through smoke,' burned offerings that pleased gods and masked odors. Modern perfumery maintains this almost mystical quality of transforming the invisible into the alluring.
Femininity signaling through fragrance marketing has reinforced gendered assumptions about women's value and desirability; historically excluded men from olfactory self-expression.
Use neutrally (not gendered); acknowledge that scent expression spans all genders.
["fragrance","scent"]
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.