stench

Etymology

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

noun

1. a strong foul smell; a stink.
2. (figurative) A foul quality.
   the stench of political corruption
3. (obsolete) A smell or odour, not necessarily bad.

verb

1. (obsolete) To cause to emit a disagreeable odour; to cause to stink.
   Dead bards stench every coast 1729, Edward Young, Imperium Pelagi
2. To stanch.