odour
Americannoun
noun
-
the property of a substance that gives it a characteristic scent or smell
-
a pervasive quality about something
an odour of dishonesty
-
repute or regard (in the phrases in good odour, in bad odour )
Other Word Forms
- odourless adjective
Etymology
Origin of odour
C13: from Old French odur, from Latin odor; related to Latin olēre to smell, Greek ōzein
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One advert for a deodorant called Mum, published in an American magazine in 1938, urged women to "face the truth about underarm perspiration odour".
From BBC
Almost every household has at least one pair of shoes whose odour is impossible to ignore.
From BBC
Leakage worries are normal but Dr Tempest says they are reliable for most people and have a built-in waterproof layer and odour lining.
From BBC
Its spokesman said monthly off-site odour assessments conducted between January and July 2025 "did not detect any odours attributable to the licenced waste facility".
From BBC
The Environment Agency urged anyone who "notices any unusual smells or odours that concern them" to report them.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.