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# odour

noun (an odour, odours) — UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland spelling; odor in the USA

«odour» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. An odour is a smell, often an unpleasant one: "a strange odour came from the bin". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/odour/#m1)
2. Body odour (BO) is the bad smell of sweat on someone's body. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/odour/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science lessons, odour is one of the properties used to describe materials; some gases have no odour, so smell is not a safe test (gas companies add an odour to cooking gas so leaks can be noticed). In health lessons, washing stops body odour. Phrases: body odour, a strong odour, odourless, a faint odour.

### Examples

- A nasty odour came from the old fridge. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/odour/#x1)
- Wash with soap to stop body odour. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/odour/#x2)
- Carbon dioxide is a gas with no odour. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/odour/#x3)
- Natural gas is given a strong odour so that people notice leaks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/odour/#x4)
- The odour of fresh bread filled the kitchen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/odour/#x5)
- The skunk sprayed a horrible odour. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/odour/#x6)
- The blooming lychnis exhaled sweet odours. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/odour/#x7)

### Note

Spelling: odour (UK and others) vs odor (USA). Adjective: odourless (no smell). Odour usually suggests a bad smell; "scent" and "fragrance" are pleasant smells. Safety: if you smell gas, leave and tell an adult — do not switch lights on or off.

## In Jewish tradition

In the Torah, a "sweet odour" is the pleasing smell of an offering, which shows that God accepts it.

**Interpretation.** In Leviticus 26, God warns He will not accept the offerings when Israel breaks the covenant. Tradition says sacrifices only please God when offered with the right heart.

### Examples

- And I will make your cities a waste, and will bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. (Torah LEV.26.31, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/O/odour/#x1)
- Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an offering and sweet odours unto him. (Writings DAN.2.46, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/O/odour/#x2)

### Note

Spelling: odour (UK and others) vs odor (USA). Adjective: odourless (no smell). Odour usually suggests a bad smell; "scent" and "fragrance" are pleasant smells. Safety: if you smell gas, leave and tell an adult — do not switch lights on or off.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «odour» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/odour/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«odour» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/odour.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «odour» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/O/odour/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«odour» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/odour.html) on Mova free.