noun
Cologne
kuh-LOHN
noun
1
A light, fragrant liquid, weaker than perfume, used to give a pleasant scent to the skin.
"He splashed on some cologne before heading out for the evening."
"The store's men's section was thick with the smell of cologne."
How to Use Cologne
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA mild fragranced liquid, often marketed toward men, worn to smell nice.
UK vs US
In everyday use, "cologne" is often associated with men's fragrance while "perfume" is associated with women's, though the terms mainly differ by concentration of oils.
Common pairings
spray cologne
a bottle of cologne
men's cologne
Word Forms
cologned past tense, colognes plural, colognes singular
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Etymology
Named after the German city of Cologne, where this style of citrus-based fragrance was first developed in the early 1700s.