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Pomander
Definitions
- 1 A mixture of aromatic substances, made into a ball and carried by a person to impart a sweet smell or as a protection against infection. countable, historical, uncountable
"Take red Storar, Nutmegs, Cucubes, Cloues, Nardus ſeed, Lignum Aloes, Indy Spica, and Cinamom, of each one drag. Muſcus and Amber of each one ſcruple, Landanum one ounce, make a Pomander thereof, like as there be many deſcribed in the ſixt part, and is alſo taught how the ſame is to be made."
- 2 A small case in which an aromatic ball was carried. countable, historical
"Colonel Johnson was talking to her earnestly, leaning over the card-table. On seeing Miss Harrison's gesture he rose suddenly, and attached to the ribbon of his watch was my godmother's silver pomander."
- 3 A perforated container filled with pot-pourri for placing in a drawer, wardrobe, room, etc., to provide a sweet smell. countable
- 4 An apple or orange studded with cloves used for the same purpose. countable
"Sir Thomas Gresham, in his celebrated portrait by Sir Antonio More, holds in his left hand a small object resembling an orange, but is a pomander. This sometimes consisted of a dried Seville orange, stuffed with cloves and other spices; and being esteemed a fashionable preservative against infection, it frequently occurs in old portraits, either suspended to the girdle or held in the hand."
Etymology
From Old French pome d'embre (literally “apple of ambergris”), from Medieval Latin pōmum dē ambra: pōmum (“fruit”) (possibly from *po-emo (“picked off”)); ambra (“amber; ambergris”) (probably from ambrosia (“food or unguent of the gods”), from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́μβροτος (ắmbrotos, “divine, immortal; belonging to the gods”), from Proto-Indo-European *n̥mr̥tós (“immortal”)).
See also for "pomander"
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