[a. OF. fragrance, ad. late L. frāgrantia, f. frāgrans: see FRAGRANT.] Sweetness of smell; sweet or pleasing scent.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 424.
| Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spies, | |
| Veil’d in a Cloud of Fragrance. |
1725. Pope, Odyss., VI. 91.
| The train prepare a cruise of curious mold, | |
| A cruise of fragrance, form’d of burnish’d gold. |
1751. Gray, Spring, 8.
| While, whisp’ring pleasure as they fly, | |
| Cool Zephyrs thro’ the clear blue sky | |
| Their gather’d fragrance fling. |
1817. Moore, Lalla R. (1824), 131. As they sat in the cool fragrance of this delicious spot.
1853. C. Brontë, Villette, xxx. Inhaling the fragrance of baked apples afar from the refectory.
fig. 1821. Keats, Isabella, x.
| Parting they seem’d to tread upon the air, | |
| Twin roses by the zephyr blown apart | |
| Only to meet again more close, and share | |
| The inward fragrance of each other’s heart. |
1838. J. H. Newman, Par. Serm. (1839), IV. xvii. 297. Years that are past bear in retrospect so much of fragrance with them, though at the time perhaps we saw little in them to take pleasure in.
Hence Fragrance v. nonce-wd. (trans.), to fill with fragrance.
1854. Tait’s Mag., XXI. Aug., 449.
| The rose-bush fragrances all the vale— | |
| Whilst he turns giddy and deadly pale. |
