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odorous

[oh-der-uh s]
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adjective
  1. odoriferous.
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Origin of odorous

First recorded in 1540–50, odorous is from the Latin word odōrus fragrant. See odor, -ous
Related formso·dor·ous·ly, adverbo·dor·ous·ness, o·dor·os·i·ty [oh-duh-ros-i-tee] /ˌoʊ dəˈrɒs ɪ ti/, nounnon·o·dor·ous, adjectivenon·o·dor·ous·ly, adverbnon·o·dor·ous·ness, nounpre·o·dor·ous, adjectiveun·o·dor·ous, adjectiveun·o·dor·ous·ly, adverbun·o·dor·ous·ness, noun
Can be confusedmalodorous odious odoriferous odorous smelly stinkyodious odorous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for odorous

Historical Examples

  • It is in the brain that the poppy is red, that the apple is odorous, that the skylark sings.

    De Profundis

    Oscar Wilde

  • Mutely together they moved through the lonesome, odorous twilight.

    Poems

    William D. Howells

  • The railway terminus will be odorous with garlic and the humanity of Italy.

    In Direst Peril

    David Christie Murray

  • The day came on—glorious, odorous, golden—but we saw little of its beauty.

  • It was enough to be seated here, close with her in the starry, odorous night.

    Major Vigoureux

    A. T. Quiller-Couch

British Dictionary definitions for odorous

odorous

adjective
  1. having or emitting a characteristic smell or odour
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Derived Formsodorously, adverbodorousness, noun
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

Word Origin and History for odorous

adj.

"fragrant," early 15c., from Medieval Latin odorosus, from Latin odorus "having a smell," from odor (see odor).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper