cologne
n. C / Un. a liquid that smells nice, similar to perfume but usually lighter. You spray or rub it on your skin to smell fresh.
n. a scented liquid consisting of alcohol and various fragrant oils. Often used to refer to fragrances marketed toward men, though it technically describes a specific concentration of aromatic compounds.
He wears a fresh cologne every morning.
The department store has a large section dedicated to expensive cologne and designer perfumes.
While the scent of his cologne was initially overpowering, it eventually faded into a subtle, woody aroma that lingered in the room long after he had departed.
From Middle English Coloyne, from Old French Cologne, from Latin Colōnia Agrippīna (“Agrippine Colony”), a settlement named after Agrippina, the mother of Roman Emperor Nero; colōnia (“colony”) comes from colōnus (“farmer; colonist”), from verb colo, colere (“till, cultivate, worship”). Doublet of Colonia, colony, and Köln, from German.
Uncountable when referring to the substance in general; countable when referring to a specific brand or type.