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Webster 1913 Edition

Stench

Stench

,
Verb.
T.
To stanch.
[Obs.]
Harvey.

Stench

,
Noun.
[AS.
stenc
a strong smell, fr.
stincan
. See
Stink
,
Verb.
I.
]
1.
A smell; an odor.
[Obs.]
Clouds of savory
stench
involve the sky.
Dryden.
2.
An ill smell; an offensive odor; a stink.
Cowper.
Stench trap
,
a contrivance to prevent stench or foul air from rising from the openings of sewers, drains, etc.

Stench

,
Verb.
T.
[AS.
stencan
to emit a smell, fr.
stincan
to smell. See
Stench
,
Noun.
]
To cause to emit a disagreeable odor; to cause to stink.
[Obs.]
Young.

Webster 1828 Edition

Stench

STENCH

,
Noun.
[See Stink.] An ill smell; offensive odor.

STENCH

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To cause to emit a hateful smell. [Not in use.]
2.
To stanch; to stop. [Not in use.]

Definition 2024

stench

stench

English

Noun

stench ‎(plural stenches)

  1. a strong foul smell, a stink
  2. (figuratively) a foul quality
    the stench of political corruption
  3. (obsolete) A smell or odour, not necessarily bad.
    • Dryden
      Clouds of savoury stench involve the sky.

Synonyms

  • (disagreeable smell): stink, pong (Commonwealth)

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

stench ‎(third-person singular simple present stenches, present participle stenching, simple past and past participle stenched)

  1. (obsolete) To cause to emit a disagreeable odour; to cause to stink.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Young to this entry?)
  2. To stanch.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Harvey to this entry?)

Etymology

From Middle English stench, from Old English stenċ ‎(“stench, odor, fragrance”), from Proto-Germanic *stankwiz ‎(“smell, fragrance, odor”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewg- ‎(“to push, hit”). Cognate with Dutch stank ‎(“stench, odor”), German Stank, Gestank ‎(“stench, odor, smell”), Danish stank ‎(“stench”), Swedish stank ‎(“stench”), Icelandic stækja ‎(“stench”).

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɛntʃ

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