Odor vs Reek - What's the difference?

In figuratively|lang=en terms the difference between odor and reek

is that odor is (figuratively) a strong, pervasive quality while reek is (figuratively) to be evidently associated with something unpleasant.

As nouns the difference between odor and reek

is that odor is any smell, whether fragrant or offensive; scent; perfume while 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.

odor

English

(wikipedia odor)

Alternative forms

* odour

Noun

Any smell, whether fragrant or offensive; scent; perfume.

* 1895 , H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X

Now, I still think that for this box of matches to have escaped the wear of time for immemorial years was a strange, and for me, a most fortunate thing. Yet oddly enough I found here a far more unlikely substance, and that was camphor. I found it in a sealed jar, that, by chance, I supposed had been really hermetically sealed. I fancied at first the stuff was paraffin wax, and smashed the jar accordingly. But the odour of camphor was unmistakable.

(figuratively) A strong, pervasive quality.

Esteem; repute.

Usage notes

In the United States, the term "odor" often has a negative connotation. Preferred terms for a pleasant odor are "fragrance", "scent", or "aroma".

Synonyms

* (any smell) perfume, scent * (esteem) esteem, repute * See also

Derived terms

* odorous * odorously * odorousness

Anagrams

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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

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Anagrams

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