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odor

noun
\ ˈō-dər How to pronounce odor (audio) \

Definition of odor

1a : a quality of something that stimulates the olfactory organ : scent
b : a sensation resulting from adequate stimulation of the olfactory organ : smell
2a : a characteristic or predominant quality : flavor the odor of sanctity
b : repute, estimation in bad odor
3 archaic : something that emits a sweet or pleasing scent : perfume
Other Words from odor Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about odor

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Other Words from odor

odored \ ˈō-​dərd How to pronounce odored (audio) \ adjective
odorless \ ˈō-​dər-​ləs How to pronounce odorless (audio) \ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for odor

smell, scent, odor, aroma mean the quality that makes a thing perceptible to the olfactory sense. smell implies solely the sensation without suggestion of quality or character. an odd smell permeated the room scent applies to the characteristic smell given off by a substance, an animal, or a plant. the scent of lilacs odor may imply a stronger or more readily distinguished scent or it may be equivalent to smell. a cheese with a strong odor aroma suggests a somewhat penetrating usually pleasant odor. the aroma of freshly ground coffee

Examples of odor in a Sentence

The cheese has a strong odor. This deodorant prevents bad odor from occurring.

Recent Examples on the Web

 The aircraft is out of service and being examined for the source of the odor, the airlines said. — John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, "American Airlines flight to London diverted to Boston after odor made flight attendants ill," 29 July 2019 How to clean Once the power is restored here’s how to care for the inside of your refrigerator or freezer and rid them of any odors. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Power out? Here's what to do with refrigerated and frozen foods," 22 July 2019 Add a bit of that homey feeling with aromatic products that combat even the gnarliest of travel odors. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Brilliant travel accessories that make hotel rooms feel like home," 21 June 2019 Surprisingly, skunks don't give off much of an odor until has to move them. — Byron Mccauley, Cincinnati.com, "Meet Danny Jackson, the man who cleans up roadkill from Cincinnati streets," 20 June 2019 But how much of the odor has been contained or neutralized is difficult to ascertain. — Joe Mozingo, San Diego Union-Tribune, "The world’s largest pot farms, and how Santa Barbara opened the door," 12 June 2019 Canines alert to the presence of narcotic odors by barking, pointing, jerking their heads or wagging their tails. — Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville police's drug-sniffing K-9s don't find narcotics in nearly half their searches," 1 Apr. 2019 No injuries were reported, and chemicals released by the fire that left a strong odor in the area haven’t presented air quality issues, Proudfit said. — Cristóbal Reyes, orlandosentinel.com, "Apopka scrap-metal fire sends plumes of smoke visible for miles," 16 July 2019 Barrientos made contact with the driver and immediately smelled an odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from the driver’s breath/person, glossy eyes and slurred speech. — Houston Chronicle, "Bellaire Police Department weekly report," 24 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'odor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of odor

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for odor

Middle English odour, borrowed from Anglo-French odur, borrowed from Latin odor (early Latin odōs), going back to *od-os-, s-stem derivative of a verbal base *od- (whence Latin oleō, olēre, also olō, olere "to give off a smell, smell (of)," from *odere), going back to Indo-European *h3ed-, whence Greek ózein "to smell, give off an odor," Armenian hot "smell, odor" (probably also an s-stem), Lithuanian úodžiu, úosti "to smell, sniff"

Note: The length in the Baltic form is attributed to Winter's Law, which is believed to lengthen vowels before an original voiced, unaspirated stop in Baltic and Slavic in certain environments.

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More Definitions for odor

odor

noun
How to pronounce odor (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of odor

: a particular smell

See the full definition for odor in the English Language Learners Dictionary

odor

noun
\ ˈō-dər How to pronounce odor (audio) \

Kids Definition of odor

: a particular smell The odor of flowers filled my room. … the air was … thick with the smell of body odor.— Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising

Other Words from odor

odorless \ ˈō-​dər-​ləs \ adjective

odor

noun
variants: or chiefly British odour \ ˈōd-​ər How to pronounce odour (audio) \

Medical Definition of odor

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