reek

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to give off a strong, unpleasant smell

   The alley reeked of stale beer and smoke.

Simplified etymology

Reek is an Old English word that originally referred to smoke as well as to a smell. Its modern use usually suggests an unpleasant odor, while the older “smoke” sense survives in Auld Reekie, the traditional name for Edinburgh.

From Old English rēocan ('to smoke, steam, give off vapor'), from Proto-Germanic *reukaną ('to smoke'); the sense 'unpleasant smell' developed later. Cognate with Dutch rieken and German riechen.

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External links

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