fume

[ fyoom ]
See synonyms for: fumefumedfumesfuming on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Often fumes . any smokelike or vaporous exhalation from matter or substances, especially of an odorous or harmful nature: tobacco fumes; noxious fumes of carbon monoxide.

  2. an irritable or angry mood: He has been in a fume ever since the contract fell through.

verb (used with object),fumed, fum·ing.
  1. to emit or exhale, as fumes or vapor: giant stacks fuming their sooty smoke.

  2. to treat with or expose to fumes.

verb (used without object),fumed, fum·ing.
  1. to rise, or pass off, as fumes: smoke fuming from an ashtray.

  2. to emit fumes: The leaky pipe fumed alarmingly.

  1. to show fretful irritation or anger: She always fumes when the mail is late.

Origin of fume

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Old French fum<Latin fūmus smoke, steam, fume

Other words for fume

Other words from fume

  • fumeless, adjective
  • fumelike, adjective
  • fumer, noun
  • fum·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·fum·ing, adjective

Words Nearby fume

Other definitions for fumé (2 of 2)

fumé
[ fy-mey ]

adjectiveFrench.
  1. of food, cured or flavored by exposure to smoke; smoked.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fume in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fume

fume

/ (fjuːm) /


verb
  1. (intr) to be overcome with anger or fury; rage

  2. to give off (fumes) or (of fumes) to be given off, esp during a chemical reaction

  1. (tr) to subject to or treat with fumes; fumigate

noun
  1. (often plural) a pungent or toxic vapour

  2. a sharp or pungent odour

  1. a condition of anger

Origin of fume

1
C14: from Old French fum, from Latin fūmus smoke, vapour

Derived forms of fume

  • fumeless, adjective
  • fumelike, adjective
  • fumer, noun
  • fumingly, adverb
  • fumy, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for fume

fume

[ fyōōm ]


  1. Smoke, vapor, or gas, especially if irritating, harmful, or smelly.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.