odour
Americannoun
noun
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the property of a substance that gives it a characteristic scent or smell
-
a pervasive quality about something
an odour of dishonesty
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repute or regard (in the phrases in good odour, in bad odour )
Other Word Forms
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.
Nearly two months later, residents of Boyle Heights say the clean-up has taken a lot longer than expected, and they've grown frustrated with the pungent odour hovering over the area.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The pungent smell of death emanates from the Caracas morgue, an odour that thousands of liters of donated chlorine cannot mask.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
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
Luminous these were too, beautiful and yet horrible of shape, like the demented forms in an uneasy dream; and they gave forth a faint sickening charnel-smell; an odour of rottenness filled the air.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
