Rosewater is a scented liquid made from roses — traditionally by steaming the petals and catching the water that comes off, not by dropping flowers into a glass of tap water. It smells like a rose, but softer and wetter. People use a few drops in sweets and drinks (especially in Middle Eastern and South Asian cooking), in old-fashioned skin lotions, and in some wedding or religious customs. A little goes a long way; too much tastes like perfume. In older English, calling something rose-water could also mean it was too sweet and soft in feeling, though you will not hear that much now. Shops may write it rosewater or rose water; it is the same thing.