This is a fantastically cool word which refers to a lingering scent in the air; the drift of perfume left behind by someone. It can also figuratively be used to mean the impression or space left behind by a person or object, or a trail left in water. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as: ‘The degree to which a perfume’s fragrance lingers in the air when worn,’ which is accurate, but seems to fall short on nuance for such a lovely word. Enjoy!
Examples of use:
‘Only a faint sillage remained to confirm that she had been there.’
‘This perfume has an enchanting sillage.’
‘It was a summer fragrance with good sillage.‘
‘The empty space on the shelf left a sillage which she could not ignore.‘
Etymology: French, literally ‘wake, trail’.
Cor Lingua 