What does eaux mean?
Eaux is the French plural of eau, meaning 'waters', and it enters English almost exclusively through set phrases borrowed wholesale from French. The most familiar of these are eaux-de-vie — literally 'waters of life', denoting clear, unsweetened fruit brandies such as kirsch, slivovitz, and poire william — and the perfumery terms eaux de cologne, eaux de toilette, and eaux de parfum, which grade fragrance strength. Beyond these, the word surfaces in descriptions of French spa towns celebrated for their mineral-rich eaux. In both British and American English it retains a distinctly Gallic flavor, pronounced as a single syllable rhyming with 'go', and it lends whatever phrase contains it an air of sophistication. Because it exists in English only inside these loan expressions rather than as a free-standing word, knowing 'eaux' is really knowing a family of elegant borrowings — but that family covers some of the most prestigious corners of the drinks cabinet and the dressing table.
nounThe French plural of 'eau' (water), used in English chiefly in borrowed phrases such as 'eaux-de-vie' (clear fruit brandies) and in perfumery, where it appears in terms like 'eaux de parfum' and 'eaux fraîches'.
- Plural of eau, used in English chiefly within French loan phrases: clear fruit brandies (eaux-de-vie) and light fragrances (eaux de toilette, eaux de cologne).
- In French contexts more generally, waters — as in thermal springs, spa resorts, or bodies of water.
"The tasting flight featured three delicate eaux-de-vie distilled from Williams pears."
"The cellar held an impressive range of eaux-de-vie, from kirsch to poire william."
"The spa town was famous for its curative eaux, drawing visitors from across Europe."
'Eaux' is itself the plural; the singular is 'eau'. Both are pronounced identically (/oʊ/), so the number distinction shows only in writing.
"The distillery produces several eaux-de-vie, each from a single fruit."
English never adopted the word for one water — only for many: 'eaux' survives solely in plurals like eaux-de-vie and eaux de parfum, a little piece of France hiding inside English menus and perfume counters.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eaux
Eaux descends from Latin aqua, 'water', via Old French eaue, with the plural eaux reflecting the distinctive -x ending that Old French developed for many formerly Latin neuter plurals. English has borrowed the word only in compound phrases such as eaux-de-vie and eaux de toilette, rather than adopting it independently. It thus shares its ultimate root with the native English borrowings 'aqua' and 'aquatic', all tracing back to the same Latin source.
How eaux is actually used
In English, 'eaux' almost never stands alone; it is confined to fixed French borrowings. It is pronounced as one syllable (/oʊ/), identical to the singular 'eau', so the plural is marked in spelling rather than sound. The term carries an air of elegance and refinement, appearing mostly on wine lists, perfume labels, and in writing about spas or continental Europe.
Easily confused with eaux
'Eau' is the singular form meaning water or a single type of perfume or brandy, while 'eaux' is its plural, referring to multiple such waters, perfumes, or spirits.