Oloroso

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A rich, deep-colored fortified wine from Spain, often associated with complex flavors and typically enjoyed as a dessert option
2. Known for its intense sweetness and nutty characteristics, this type of fortified wine hails from Andalusia, showcasing a unique taste profile
3. A style of fortified wine originating from Spain characterized by a full, dark appearance and rich, layered flavor

Etymology: Oloroso is a Spanish word meaning "fragrant" or "aromatic," built from "olor," meaning "smell" or "odor," plus the suffix "-oso," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "full of" the thing named. So the name of this sherry is, quite literally, "full of smell." The wine is named for its strong, penetrating bouquet, which is the first thing a drinker notices, rather than for any flavor or colour. The "olor" element traces back through Latin to a much older root, reconstructed as Proto-Indo-European "*h₃ed-," which is linked to the idea of smelling and, by extension, to the sense of being pungent. The suffix has an equally long pedigree. It passed from Latin "-ōsus" into Old Spanish as "-oso," and the same ending appears in countless everyday Spanish adjectives such as "famoso" (famous) and "precioso" (precious). English borrowed the term directly from Spanish, so the word arrived with its Spanish sense intact. Its meaning in English has stayed close to the Spanish original: a dark, richly flavoured fortified wine, named for the aroma that defines it.

Synonyms: fragrant, aromatic, scented, smelly, balmy

Antonyms: odorless, unscented, foul, stinky, putrid