English Reference

Word

bouquet

Phoneticsbou·quet, stress on the second syllable

US/buˈkeɪ/

UK/buːkˈeɪ/

Countable noun

Definition

n. a bunch of flowers that are picked and arranged in an attractive way. You often give one as a gift for a special occasion like a wedding or a birthday.

n. an arrangement of flowers, typically given as a gift or carried in a ceremony. Also refers to the characteristic scent of a wine or perfume.

Examples

“He bought a large bouquet of roses for her birthday.”

“The bride carried a beautiful bouquet of white lilies and baby's breath as she walked down the aisle.”

“The sommelier noted that the vintage possessed a complex bouquet, with distinct notes of dark cherry and toasted oak that developed as the wine breathed.”

Examples

simple

“He bought a large bouquet of roses for her birthday.”

contextual

“The bride carried a beautiful bouquet of white lilies and baby's breath as she walked down the aisle.”

complex

“The sommelier noted that the vintage possessed a complex bouquet, with distinct notes of dark cherry and toasted oak that developed as the wine breathed.”

Usage

Often takes the preposition 'of' to specify the contents, such as 'a bouquet of flowers'.

Pitfall

a bucket of flowers

a bouquet of flowers

Learners sometimes confuse 'bouquet' with 'bucket' due to phonetic similarity, but a bouquet is an arrangement, while a bucket is a container.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *buskaz Frankish *buskbor. Early Medieval Latin boscus Old French boisder. Old French bochet French bouquetubor. English bouquet Unadapted borrowing from French bouquet, from Old French bochet, from bois, from Early Medieval Latin boscus (“grove”), borrowed from Frankish busk, from Proto-Germanic buskaz. Doublet of bosket.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Idioms

Domain

Mathematics

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
Frequency
Frequent
Level
B1 · Intermediate
Updated

QR code

englishreference.com/q/bouquet

English Reference