Hungary water

English

Alternative forms

• Hungary-water
• Hungry-water, Hungry water (obsolete)

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, line 77:

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

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

     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, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “Hungary, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1899.