pomander

Meanings

1. A mixture of aromatic substances, made into a ball and carried by a person to impart a sweet smell or as a protection against infection.
2. A small case in which an aromatic ball was carried.
3. A perforated container filled with pot-pourri for placing in a drawer, wardrobe, room, etc., to provide a sweet smell.
4. An apple or orange studded with cloves used for the same purpose.

Etymology

From Old French pome d'embre (literally “apple of ambergris”), from Medieval Latin pōmum dē ambra: pōmum (“fruit”) (possibly from *po-emo (“picked off”)); ambra (“amber; ambergris”) (probably from ambrosia (“food or unguent of the gods”), from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́μβροτος (ắmbrotos, “divine, immortal; belonging to the gods”), from Proto-Indo-European *n̥mr̥tós (“immortal”)).