Odors

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈoʊ.dɚz/

Definitions

1. A range of distinct smells that elicit emotional responses or associations
2. Various scents that can be agreeable or disagreeable, often linked to specific materials or environments
3. Scents or fragrances detected by the sense of smell, which may vary from pleasant to unpleasant

Etymology: "Odors" is simply the plural of "odor," so the more useful story is the noun itself. Its ancestor is the Latin "odor," meaning smell, scent, or fragrance, and it carried no inherent sense of badness; "odor" could describe a pleasant perfume as readily as a stench. The Latin word passed into Old French as "odor," and from there the Anglo-Norman "odour" reached Middle English, where it was borrowed into the language. The American spelling "odor" drops the "u" that British English keeps in "odour." Both come from the same Latin source, and the shorter form is the one used in the United States, where it is the standard spelling.

Synonyms: smells, scents, fragrances, aromas, fumes

Antonyms: fragrance, perfume, sweetness, freshness