neroli

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from French néroli (“neroli”), from Nerola, a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio, Italy. Marie Anne de La Trémoille, princesse des Ursins (1642–1722), Princess of Nerola but originally from France, is thought to have made neroli popular as a fragrance in her country of birth around 1670. The word is cognate with Italian (obsolete) nerola, neroli.

1. More fully neroli oil or oil of neroli: an essential oil distilled from the blossoms of the bitter orange or Seville orange (Citrus × aurantium subsp. amara) used to make perfumes.

   “NEROLY, a ſort of Perfume.”

   “[page 26] Along with that double orange flower water, the neroly or quinteſſence of orange flowers will come alſo; but as this quinteſſence is the oily part it will ſwim at top; that neroly is firſt of a green colour, but after a few days it turns of a reddiſh one. [...] [page 27] [T]he neroly is ſtill infinitely ſuperior to that double water itſelf, and can admit of no compariſon at all; for half a gill of neroly does more than a quart and more of double water; [...]”