rosewood

R1O1S1E1W4O1O1D2
US/ˈɹoʊzˌwʊd/

noun

The fragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra, a Brazilian tree in the legume family, which has a sweet smell.

Similar
Brazilian rosewoodRio rosewoodBahia rosewoodpianowoodrosewood tree
Less commonScrabble 12

Meanings

rosewood1

nounrosewood (countable and uncountable, plural rosewoods)

plural rosewoods

  1. countableuncountableThe fragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra, a Brazilian tree in the legume family, which has a sweet smell.

    Synonyms: Brazilian rosewood, Rio rosewood, Bahia rosewood, pianowood

  2. countableuncountableAny of several dozen woods, resembling that of Dalbergia nigra in some respect.
  3. countableuncountableThe wood of a South American tree, Aniba rosaeodora, in the laurel family, with fragrant wood from which an essential oil is distilled.
  4. countableuncountableWood and plant of Pterocarpus spp., for example African rosewood or mukula or Burmese rosewood (Pterocarpus indicus, syn. Pterocarpus santalinus).

Rosewood2

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe fragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra, a Brazilian tree in the legume family, which has a sweet smell.

Similar
Brazilian rosewoodRio rosewoodBahia rosewoodpianowood

More synonyms by meaning

nounany of those hardwood trees of the genus Dalbergia that yield rosewood — valuable cabinet woods of a dark red or purplish color streaked and variegated with black

Similar
rosewood tree
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

rosewood · noun

A compound of rose + wood, originally so named because of the rose-scented aromatic oil derived from it; applied in later senses on account of these woods’ predominantly reddish-brown colour.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian палисандър
  • палисандър (palisandăr)fragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra
Catalan palissandre
  • palissandrefragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra
Chinese Mandarin 紅木 /红木
  • 紅木 /红木 (hóngmù)fragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra
German Rio-Palisander, Bahia- und Brasilianisches Rosenholz
  • Rio-Palisanderfragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra
  • Bahia- und Brasilianisches Rosenholzfragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra
  • Palisanderfragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra
Polish palisander
  • palisanderfragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra
Russian палисандр, палисандр
  • палисандр (palisandr)fragrant wood of Dalbergia nigra
  • палисандр (palisandr)any of many woods that resemble Dalbergia nigra
Cite this entry
APA

rosewood. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rosewood

MLA

“rosewood.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rosewood. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rosewood,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rosewood.

Source: rosewood on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.