odor
[ˈɔ.dɔr]masculine
The English word 'smell' (as a sensation) is odor in Latin.
odor refers to a scent or an odor. If you wish to describe the action of using your nose to sense a smell, you can use the verbs olefaciō or olfaciō. To describe something that possesses a particular smell, you can use oleō or fragrō.
Meaning: sensation (noun)
Which one should you use?
While odor is a general term for a scent, oleō is a verb used to indicate that something smells of or like a specific substance, often used for more pungent or neutral odors. For a pleasant or aromatic smell, the term redolentia is used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word odor is a masculine noun. Its genitive singular form is odoris, which means 'of the smell' and its accusative plural form is odores, used when 'smells' are the direct object of a verb.
Did you know?
- The term redolentia does not just mean a sweet smell, but can imply a scent that brings back a memory or 'reminds' one of something.
- The word odor was originally odōs in Old Latin. Over time the 's' sound shifted to an 'r' through a process called rhotacism.
- The word fragrō is a specific verb used when something possesses a scent, and it serves as the root for the English word 'fragrance'.
Examples in context
- Surge et rosas odorare.Wake up and smell the roses.This sentence uses odor to provide an instruction to wake up and sense the roses.Tatoeba #8918446 by alexmarcelo, translation #4679874 by patgfisher
- Odoratus est unus ex quinque sensibus.Smell is one of the five senses.This sentence uses odor to define smell as one of the five senses.Tatoeba #1557738 by alexmarcelo, translation #326620 by CK
- Ficus protulit grossos suos, vineæ florentes dederunt odorem suum.The fig tree hath put forth her green figs: the vines in flower yield their sweet smell.This sentence uses odor to describe the sweet smell yielded by flowering vines.Tatoeba #2836651 by carlosalberto, translation #2837084 by carlosalberto
- Per olfactionem discernimus florem suaveolentem ab odore pútrido.Through smell, we distinguish the sweet-scented flower from the putrid odor.
- In horto sunt multi odores fragrantes, quamquam non omnes sint suaves.There are many fragrant smells in the garden, although not all are pleasant.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Quintus and Julia are in a garden.
- QuintusHic odor est optimus.This smell is very good.
- JuliaIta, Julia rosas amat.Yes, Julia loves roses.
- QuintusUbi est iste odor?Where is that smell coming from?
- JuliaVeni huc, Quinte!Come here, Quintus!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smell” translations and entries odor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries odor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
