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per·fume

(pûrfym′, pər-fym)

1. A substance that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor, especially a volatile liquid distilled from flowers or prepared synthetically.

2. A pleasing, agreeable scent or odor. See Synonyms at fragrance.

tr.v. (pər-fym) per·fumed, per·fum·ing, per·fumes

To fill or permeate with fragrance; impart a pleasant odor to.

[French parfum, from Old Italian parfumo, from parfumare, to fill with smoke : par-, intensive pref. (from Latin per-, per-) + fumare, to smoke (from Latin fūmāre, from fūmus, smoke).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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