odor

o•dor

[[t]ˈoʊ dər[/t]] n.

1) the property of a substance that activates the sense of smell:

a beautiful flower with an unpleasant odor[/ex]

2) phl a sensation perceived by the sense of smell; scent

3) a quality or property characteristic or suggestive of something:

an odor of suspicion[/ex]

4) repute:

in bad odor with one's creditors[/ex]

5) archaic something that has a pleasant scent

Also, esp. brit. odour. Etymology: 1250–1300; ME < OF < L o′dor•ful,adj. o′dor•less,adj. syn: odor, smell, scent, stench all refer to a sensation perceived by means of the olfactory nerves. odor refers to a relatively strong sensation that may be agreeable or disagreeable, actually or figuratively: the odor of freshly roasted coffee; the odor of duplicity. smell is used in similar contexts, although it is a more general word: cooking smells; the sweet smell of success. scent may refer to a distinctive smell, usu. delicate and pleasing, or to a smell left in passing: the scent of lilacs; the scent of an antelope. stench refers to a foul, sickening, or repulsive smell: the stench of rotting flesh.