What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Reek vs Eek - What's the difference?

reek | eek |

As a noun reek

is a strong unpleasant smell or reek can be (ireland) a hill; a mountain.

As a verb reek

is (archaic|intransitive) to be emitted or exhaled, emanate, as of vapour or perfume.

As a proper noun eek is

a river in alaska.

reek

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) rek, ‘smoke, fog’, Albanian regj ‘to tan’).Vladimir Orel, A Handbook of Germanic Etymology , s.vv. “*raukiz”, “*reukanan”(Leiden: Brill, 2003), 299:303.

Noun

(-)
  • A strong unpleasant smell.
  • Vapor; steam; smoke; fume.
  • * Shakespeare
    • As hateful to me as the reek of a limekiln.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) reken ‘to smoke’, from (etyl) . See above.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (archaic) To be emitted or exhaled, emanate, as of vapour or perfume.
  • To have or give off a strong, unpleasant smell.
    • You reek of perfume.
    Your fridge reeks of egg.
  • (figuratively) To be evidently associated with something unpleasant.
    • The boss appointing his nephew as a director reeks of nepotism.

    Etymology 3

    Probably a transferred use (after Irish cruach stack (of corn), pile, mountain, hill) of a variant of rick (with which it is cognate).

    Noun

    (s)
  • (Ireland) A hill; a mountain.

    • References

    * * * * * Notes:

    Anagrams

    * ----

    eek

    English

    Interjection

  • Representing a scream or shriek (especially in comic strips and books).
  • Expressing (sometimes mock) fear or surprise.
  • The shrill vocal sound of a mouse, rat, or monkey.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To produce a high-pitched squeal, as in fear or trepidation.
  • * 2009 , Paul Gelder, Yachting Monthly's Further Confessions
    • She was dangling the mouse by its tail, but as it tried to arch upwards and bite, she started to jig about wildly The anglers had watched a beautiful young woman dance naked beneath a full moon to the feverish rhythm of unworldly eeking noises!
  • * 2011 , Isaac E. Washington, The Stars in My Dreams (page 106)
    • We saw a frog and she eeked in terror again from the sight of it hopping near her.

    Anagrams

    * eke ----