Aromatic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌæɹ.əˈmæt.ɪk/

Definitions

1. Having a strong, pleasant, and distinctive smell or fragrance, especially relating to spices, herbs, or organic compounds
2. Having a rich and pleasing scent, often associated with flavorful herbs, spices, or natural substances that evoke olfactory pleasure
3. Characterized by an appealing and recognizable fragrance that frequently pertains to culinary herbs, spices, and certain organic materials

Etymology: Ancient Greeks used "árōma" for seasonings and sweet-smelling herbs, and the word was not originally about scent alone: it covered the spices and aromatic plants that were prized in cooking, medicine and perfume. The Greek adjective "arōmatikós" grew from that noun, and Late Latin turned it into "aromaticus", which carried the same sense of spicy, sweet-smelling substances into the Romance languages. English borrowed the word through Middle French and Old French "aromatique" in the late Middle Ages, when spices were valuable imports and their smell signalled wealth and foreign trade. The original sense stayed close to cooking and medicine: something aromatic was seasoned or spiced, rather than simply pleasant to smell. Over time the meaning narrowed toward fragrance in general, so a rose or a sprig of pine can now be called aromatic even though no spice is involved.

Synonyms: fragrant, scented, perfumed, odorous, balmy

Antonyms: odorless, foul, unpleasant, stinky, smelly