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odour

American  
[oh-der] / ˈoʊ dər /

noun

Chiefly British.
  1. a variant of odor.


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 )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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