odor

especially British, o·dour

[oh-der]

noun

1. the property of a substance that activates the sense of smell.

   to have an unpleasant odor.

2. a sensation perceived by the sense of smell; scent.

3. an agreeable scent; fragrance.

   Synonyms: perfume, redolence, aroma

4. a disagreeable smell.

5. a quality or property characteristic or suggestive of something.

   An odor of suspicion surrounded his testimony.

6. repute.

   in bad odor with the whole community.

7. Archaic.,  something that has a pleasant scent.

odor

/ ˈəʊdə /

noun

1. the US spelling of odour

Other Word Forms

• odorful adjective
• odorless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of odor¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin

Synonym Study

Odor, smell, scent, stench all refer to sensations perceived through the nose by the olfactory nerves. Odor and smell in literal contexts are often interchangeable. Figuratively, odor also usually occurs in positive contexts: the odor of sanctity. Smell is the most general and neutral of these two terms, deriving connotation generally from the context in which it is used: the tempting smell of fresh-baked bread; the rank smell of rotting vegetation. In figurative contexts smell may be either positive or negative: the sweet smell of success; a strong smell of duplicity pervading the affair. Scent refers either to delicate and pleasing aromas or to faint, barely perceptible smells: the scent of lilacs on the soft spring breeze; deer alarmed by the scent of man. Stench is strongly negative, referring both literally and figuratively to what is foul, sickening, or repulsive: the stench of rotting flesh; steeped in the stench of iniquity and treason.

Example Sentences

The EPA said the upgrade should help address the sewage problem and the foul odors.

From Los Angeles Times

She pointed to the pond, which no longer had the foul odor or the oily sheen of the canal despite being just a few steps away.

From Los Angeles Times

A master perfumer compares the odor of DMS to “fish that stayed too long in the sun,” adding that “we usually avoid” such associations “when we recreate the smell of the sea in perfumery.”

From Salon

Deputies investigating the burglary noticed a “strong odor consistent with illegal narcotics,” and a drug task force secured a warrant to search the home.

From Los Angeles Times

People compare the odor to dead rats, gym socks and rotten eggs — hence the morbid name.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aroma 
• flavor 
• perfume 
• smell 
• stench 
• stink 
• whiff