the stench of rotting meat
we finally discovered the dead rat that was causing the stench in the basement
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People who live within miles of factory farms report terrible stenches that keep them indoors and force them to have their windows closed.—Sam Delgado, Vox, 17 Mar. 2025 The air is also laced with hydrogen sulfide, a gas infamous for its foul stench of rotten eggs and its ability to cause respiratory failure in high doses.—Scott Travers, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025 The moose remains gave off an awful stench and usually were half buried under piles of dirt and debris clawed up by the grizzlies.—Tom Stacer, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 2025 The stench of death would normally repel sightseers, not attract them.—Max Butterworth, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stench
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English stenc; akin to Old English stincan to emit a smell — more at stink
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of stench was
before the 12th century
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