odor

C2+ Topic:Senses & Perception

Also spelled odour

US /ˈoʊdər/ UK /ˈəʊdə/ See IPA manual

noun

Meanings

1

noun
a distinctive smell, especially an unpleasant one

A faint odor of smoke lingered in the apartment long after the candle went out.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a distinctive smell,... smell scent aroma stench stink whiff reek

Word family

Derived forms odorlessodorous odoriferous

Related forms odorantdeodorantredolent

Etymology

From Latin odor ('smell, scent'), from an Indo-European root *od- ('to smell').

odor Latin *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Senses & Perception

# odor

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** ˈoʊdər
**IPA (UK):** ˈəʊdə

## Meanings
1. a distinctive smell, especially an unpleasant one

## Examples
- A faint odor of smoke lingered in the apartment long after the candle went out.

## Synonyms
- smell
- scent
- aroma
- stench
- stink
- whiff
- reek

## Derived Forms
- odorless
- odorous
- odoriferous

## Related Forms
- odorant
- deodorant
- redolent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: odor
- Root: *h₃ed-

## Etymology
From Latin odor ('smell, scent'), from an Indo-European root *od- ('to smell').

## AI Etymology
Odor comes from Latin odor ('smell, scent'), from an Indo-European root *od- ('to smell'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As a noun, it denotes "a distinctive smell, especially an unpleasant one", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Latin odor and Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed-. Derivative forms include odorless, odorous, odoriferous; related words include odorant, deodorant, redolent.

## Topics
- Senses & Perception

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odor

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