Hungary water

Hungary water

English

Alternative forms

• Hungary-water

Etymology

Ellipsis of Queen of Hungary's water, possibly a calque of French Eau de la Reine de Hongrie, after its supposed origin.

Noun

Hungary water (countable and uncountable, plural Hungary waters)

1. (historical) One of various early modern perfumes and elixirs made of rosemary, camomile or later lavender infused in various alcohols.
   • 1697, John Vanbrugh, The Provok'd Wife, Act V, l. 77:

     ...Your Bottle of Hungry Water to your Lady...

   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, London: Heinemann, OCLC 59891543, page 9-10:

     Certain unscrupulous men may call upon you here in your dressing-room. They will lavish you with flowers, with compliments, with phials of Hungary water and methuselahs of the costliest champagne. You must be wary of such men, my hearts, they are not to be trusted.

Translations

rosemary, camomile or later lavender in alcohol

Czech: please add this translation if you can Danish: please add this translation if you can Finnish: unkarinvesi French: eau de la Reine de Hongrie f German: ungarisch Wasser n, Ungarisch Wasser n Greek: please add this translation if you can Hungarian: királynévíz, magyar víz Italian: acqua della Regina f Ottoman Turkish: قرال صویی‎ (kral suyu) Swedish: ungerskt vatten n

References

• Hungary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “Hungary, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1899.