fume

¹

[ fyoom ]

noun

1. Often fumes. any smokelike or vaporous exhalation from matter or substances, especially of an odorous or harmful nature:

   tobacco fumes; noxious fumes of carbon monoxide.

2. an irritable or angry mood:

   He has been in a fume ever since the contract fell through.

   Synonyms: storm, agitation, fury, rage

verb (used with object)

, fumed, fum·ing.

1. to emit or exhale, as fumes or vapor:

   giant stacks fuming their sooty smoke.

2. to treat with or expose to fumes.

verb (used without object)

, fumed, fum·ing.

1. to rise, or pass off, as fumes:

   smoke fuming from an ashtray.

2. to emit fumes:

   The leaky pipe fumed alarmingly.

3. to show fretful irritation or anger:

   She always fumes when the mail is late.

   Synonyms: fret, chafe

fumé

²

[ fy-mey ]

adjective

, French.

1. of food, cured or flavored by exposure to smoke; smoked.

fume

/ fjuːm /

verb

1. intr to be overcome with anger or fury; rage
2. to give off (fumes) or (of fumes) to be given off, esp during a chemical reaction
3. tr to subject to or treat with fumes; fumigate

noun

1. often plural a pungent or toxic vapour
2. a sharp or pungent odour
3. a condition of anger

fume

/ fyo̅o̅m /

1. Smoke, vapor, or gas, especially if irritating, harmful, or smelly.

Derived Forms

• ˈfumy, adjective
• ˈfumingly, adverb
• ˈfumer, noun
• ˈfumeless, adjective
• ˈfumeˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• fumeless adjective
• fumelike adjective
• fumer noun
• fuming·ly adverb
• un·fuming adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fume¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Old French fum < Latin fūmus smoke, steam, fume

Word History and Origins

Origin of fume¹

C14: from Old French fum , from Latin fūmus smoke, vapour

Example Sentences

It is an important issue given the vast number of generators belching out fumes across Nigeria as a result of the woeful power supply.

From BBC

Mr Rowlands heard the group discuss whether to take a break as their exploits had left the vault full of fumes, smoke and dust.

From BBC

“If you get a fire, probably the worst things to deal with when you’re evacuating people are smoke and fumes, vapours, gases that are toxic.”

From BBC

Parents filled city meetings, worried about their kids breathing in diesel fumes while running cross-country or dodging 18-wheelers as they hustled toward class each morning.

From Salon

Aurangzeb said the fumes were “being carried by strong winds into Pakistan”.

From BBC

Related Words

• bristle
• chafe
• rave
• seethe