odorous

[oh-der-uh s]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR odorous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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. 2019

Related Words for odorous

aromatic, balmy, dank, fetid, flavorsome, flowery, foul, fragrant, heady, honeyed, loud, malodorous, mephitic, moldy, musty, nauseous, offensive, pungent, putrid, redolent

Examples from the Web for odorous

Historical Examples of odorous

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.
A Daughter of the Middle Border
Hamlin Garland
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

having or emitting a characteristic smell or odour

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).