English rose

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableold-fashioned

   A woman from England thought to have a delicate, fair-skinned and gentle look, traditionally praised in a rather romantic way.

   Grammar: Countable: an English rose, two English roses.

   Patterns

   • an English rose of a girl

   The novelist described his heroine as a classic English rose.

   With her pale skin and rosy cheeks, she was called an English rose.

   The magazine praised the actress as a true English rose.

2. 2nouncountable

   A kind of garden rose bred in England, typically with a rich scent and a full, old-style bloom.

   Grammar: Often refers to a variety: grow English roses.

   The gardener planted several English roses by the fence.

   English roses bloom well in cool, damp climates.

Word forms

Common combinations

a typical English rose

He called her a typical English rose with a quiet charm.

a delicate English rose

A delicate English rose, she blushed at the compliment.

plant an English rose

She planted an English rose by the cottage door.

an English rose garden

They visited an English rose garden in June.

Synonyms and how they differ

fair maiden

Fair maiden is more poetic and literary, while English rose is a modern phrase that is mainly about looks and temperament.

peaches and cream complexion

This phrase describes only the skin, whereas English rose describes a whole person.

beauty

Beauty is general and carries no national reference, unlike English rose.

Word family

English adjective

of or from England

rose noun

a fragrant flower with thorny stems

rosy adjective

pink or hopeful

Englishwoman noun

a woman who comes from England

Commonly confused: English rose or Tudor rose?

Practice

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