embaumer

to embalm

verb ahn-boh-MEH Rare

Also means

to fill with fragrance, to perfume

Usage Note

Embaumer has two distinct uses: the mortuary sense (embaumer un corps) and a poetic sense meaning to fill a space with a sweet scent (les roses embaumaient le jardin). The second sense is vivid and common in literature. Both senses are used without sounding archaic.

Examples

"Les fleurs embaumaient toute la pièce."

Natural Translation

The flowers filled the whole room with fragrance.

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