US /ˈfjuːm/ UK /fjuːm/
noun verb Freq #48298

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    Strong-smelling or dangerous gas, smoke, or vapour.

    Don't stand around breathing the fumes while the glue dries.

  2. 2
    verb

    To be very angry, often quietly.

    They fumed for hours after losing the game.

  3. 3
    verb

    To give off smoke or vapour.

    The beaker was fuming on the lab bench.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · strong-smelling or... smokeeffluvium
3 verb · to give off smoke or vapour. smoke
Word family
Forms fumedfumesfuming
Derived forms fumaciousfumedfumelessfumelikefumewortfumishfumivorousfumulusfumy

Etymology

From Middle English fume, from Old French fum (“smoke, steam, vapour”), from Latin fūmus (“vapour, smoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂mós (“smoke”), from *dʰewh₂- (“to smoke, raise dust”). Doublet of thymus and thymos. More at dun, dusk, dust.

View etymology graph ->

Topics

markdown

Send feedback

Optional — only if you'd like a reply.