perfume

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French parfum. Doublet of parfum.

noun

1. A pleasant smell; the scent, odor, or odoriferous particles emitted from a sweet-smelling substance; a pleasant odor
2. (cosmetics) A substance created to provide a pleasant smell or one which emits an agreeable odor.
   The perfume industry is facing a major problem: maintaining constant levels of quality is crucial, but it is increasingly difficult to obtain a regular supply of all the necessary natural ingredients. 2014-03-07, Nicole Vulser, “Perfume manufacturers must cope with the scarcity of precious supplies”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 190, number 13, page 30

verb

1. (transitive) To apply perfume to; to fill or impregnate with a perfume; to scent.