Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A bad odor; a stench. synonym: stench.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An offensive odor; a stench.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An offensive odor.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun an offensive odor

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

mal- (“bad”) +‎ odor

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Examples

  • By the age of 5, his talent for sniffing out every kind of malodor is already evident, but nothing prepares him for what he encounters after being sold as an apprentice to a tannery run by a vicious brute replete with boils.

    Hoppin��� Down The Bunny Trail 2007

  • I'd smelled that malodor of skunk in the air, just a hint of it, around suppertime.

    Archive 2009-10-01 2009

  • There are some patients who will notice increased perspiration in the lower leg, however, since it is not contained in a shoe, there is no associated malodor as a result.

    Smelly Feet? What To Do About It 2011

  • Signs of an infection are redness, swelling, malodor and/or pus yellowish colored drainage.

    Neal M. Blitz, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S.: Beware of the Diabetic Heart Attack of the Foot Neal M. Blitz 2011

  • In addition to the malodor, some people experience increase in oily hair and scalp.

    What Is 'Smelly Hair Syndrome?' 2011

  • I'd smelled that malodor of skunk in the air, just a hint of it, around suppertime.

    The Mondays: Sometimes the Muse Is In the Bushes 2009

  • In as much as his health would permit, Pan had cooperated in the venture to disguise his malodor and transport him to the New World, but he hardly could be rated enthusiastic.

    La insistencia de Jürgen Fauth 2010

  • At the appointed hour when courtiers of Louis XIV were finally to call at the shop to test its wares, Pan returned prematurely from a stroll in the park, his malodor at high mast due to exercise and the sappy influences of spring.

    La insistencia de Jürgen Fauth 2010

  • Their research ran the gamut from studies on the most effective natural flavors for treating bad breath — cinnamon is a good choice — to the development of an artificial nose for sniffing out oral malodor and links between exhaled air and disease.

    Scientists Bringing Bad Breath Out of the Closet | Impact Lab 2007

  • Predating the malodor squad, IFF worked on smell-fighting products now on the market, including the "odor shield" feature of Glad trash bags, which manufacturer Clorox Co. credits with boosting the sales of its premium bags.

    This Job Stinks: Chemists 2008

  • Specifically, the analytical scientists at Procter & Gamble. P & G, the parent company of Tide, Gain and Downy, devotes no small amount of time and research dollars to the issue of awful smelling clothes, or malodor, as it’s more formally known.

    Getting to the Bottom of ‘Thrift Store Smell’ By 2018

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