Rose

n. [Fr. rose, Pr., Sp., Pg., It., & Lat. rosa, allied to Gr. ῥόδον; A-S., Dan., & Ger. rose, D. roos, Icel. & Sw. rōs, O. H. Ger. rōsa; Ir. & Gael. rōs, W. rhōs, Armor. roz, rozen.]

1Sense 1. A plant and flower of the genus Rosa, of many species and varieties, as the wild, canine or dog rose, the white rose, the red rose, the cinnamon rose, the eglantine or sweet brier, and the like.

At Christmas I no more desire a rose. Shak.

The rose is a shrub with oddly or alternately pinnate leaves and prickly branches. It is distinguished for the beauty and fragrance of its flowers, which, in the native state, have five petals of a delicate pink color. By cultivation the number of petals is greatly increased, and the flowers present very many different hues in the different varieties, which are so numerous as to be distinguished with difficulty.

2Sense 2. A knot of ribbon in the form of a rose; a rosette.

3Sense 3. (Arch.) A rosette. See ROSETTE.

4Sense 4. A perforated nozzle, as of a pipe, spout, &c., for delivering water in fine jets; a rose-head.

5Sense 5. The erysipelas. [Obs.] Nares.

6Sense 6. (Naut.) The card of the mariner’s compass.

7Sense 7. The color of a rose; rose-red; pink.

Rose is sometimes used in the formation of self-explaining compounds: as, rose-faced, rose-hued, rose-lipped, rose-red, and the like.

v. t. To render rose-colored; to redden; to flush. [Obs. or rare.] “A maid yet rosed over with the virgin crimson of modesty.” Shak.