Hungary water

noun

One of various early modern perfumes and elixirs made of rosemary, camomile or later lavender infused in various alcohols.

OriginFrench Eau de la Reine de Hongrie →
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Meanings

nounHungary water (countable and uncountable, plural Hungary waters)

plural Hungary waters · alternative Hungary-water · alternative obsolete Hungry-water · alternative obsolete Hungry water

  1. countablehistoricaluncountableOne of various early modern perfumes and elixirs made of rosemary, camomile or later lavender infused in various alcohols.

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

    1697, John Vanbrugh, The Provok'd Wife, act V, line 77
    1 more example

    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.

    1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, section I, page 7

Origin

  1. FrenchEau de la Reine de Hongrie
  2. EnglishHungary water

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

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish unkarinvesi
  • unkarinvesirosemary, camomile or later lavender in alcohol
French eau de la Reine de Hongrie
  • eau de la Reine de Hongrierosemary, camomile or later lavender in alcohol
German ungarisch Wasser, Ungarisch Wasser
  • ungarisch Wasserrosemary, camomile or later lavender in alcohol
  • Ungarisch Wasserrosemary, camomile or later lavender in alcohol
Hungarian királynévíz, magyar víz
  • királynévízrosemary, camomile or later lavender in alcohol
  • magyar vízrosemary, camomile or later lavender in alcohol
Italian acqua della Regina
  • acqua della Reginarosemary, camomile or later lavender in alcohol
Swedish ungerskt vatten
  • ungerskt vattenrosemary, camomile or later lavender in alcohol
Cite this entry
APA

Hungary water. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hungary%20water

MLA

“Hungary water.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hungary%20water. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Hungary water,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hungary%20water.

Source: Hungary water on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.