odour

American  

[oh-der] / ˈoʊ dər /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. a variant of odor.

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odour British  

/ ˈəʊdə /

noun

1. the property of a substance that gives it a characteristic scent or smell

2. a pervasive quality about something

   an odour of dishonesty

3. repute or regard (in the phrases in good odour, in bad odour )

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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

Residents living by Kings Delph said they felt angry and "sick" at the huge number of fish deaths, the foul odour and discoloured water.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

As Nolso opens the door, a rancid odour escaped.

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

"Increased odour is an ongoing concern," it said.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Green Park School in Wolverhampton was forced to shut on Tuesday and Wednesday after the unusual odour was detected near its swimming pool, leading to paramedics assessing "a number of patients".

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

“To keep the ancient odour of Mr. Faber in, of course,” said Faber sweating at the job.

From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury