fetor

or foe·tor

[ fee-ter ]

noun

1. a strong, offensive smell; stench.

fetor

/ -tɔː; ˈfiːtə /

noun

1. an offensive stale or putrid odour; stench

Word History and Origins

Origin of fetor¹

1475–1500; < Latin, equivalent to fēt- (stem of fētēre to stink) + -or -or ¹; replacing earlier fetour < Middle French < Latin fētōr-, stem of fētor

Word History and Origins

Origin of fetor¹

C15: from Latin, from fētēre to stink

Example Sentences

The exam room bears an odor; it’s a musty sweetness, not unpleasant, but one that I know well — fetor hepaticus, a sign of severe liver disease.

From Washington Post

Yes, it’s August, in all its fire and fetor, and maybe you’d rather be at the beach.

From New York Times

There is none of that soreness and disorganization between the back part of the toes, and none of that peculiar fetor which distinguishes the hoof-ail, with which disease it is sometimes confounded.

From Project Gutenberg

When applied locally, it promptly arrests fetor by arresting directly the gangrenous process, and thus lessens risk from absorption.

From Project Gutenberg

There is not that degree of fetor in the fæces, in diarrhœa, which takes place in dysentery. 6th.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• smell
• stink