odorous, a.
(ˈəʊdərəs)
[f. L. odor, odōr-em odour (or odōr-us fragrant) + -ous; perh. after obs. F. odoreux (16–17th c. in Godef.) or It. odoroso (Florio). Formerly somet. pronounced (əʊˈdɔərəs).]
Emitting a smell or scent; scented, odoriferous; more usually, sweet-smelling; fragrant.
| 1550 Bale Image Both Ch. i. viii. 107 The sweete smoke of the odorous incense. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. ii. i. 110 An odorous Chaplet of sweet Sommer buds. 1675 T. R. tr. Marini's Slaughter Innocents 60 The hills, and dales, that plants odorous bare. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 273 If od'rous Blooms the bearing Branches load. 1749 G. Lavington Enthus. Meth. & Papists ii. (1754) 8 Most of the Popish Saints dead bodies always remain odorous and uncorrupted. 1791 Cowper Iliad iii. 454 Venus..in his chamber placed him, With scents odorous, spirit-soothing sweets. 1807 T. Thomson Chem. (ed. 3) II. 237 At the same time the prussic acid becomes more odorous and more volatile. 1860 Pusey Min. Proph. 205 A rich ointment..to which odorous substances, myrrh, cinnamon,..and cassia gave scent. |
| Comb. 1834 Tait's Mag. I. 221/1 Sweetest of younger sisters, odorous-tressed, Whose lips are worshipped by the breezes, Spring! |
Hence
ˈodorously adv., in an odorous manner, with smell or scent;
ˈodorousness, the quality of being odorous.
| 1727 Bailey vol. II, Odorousness, sweet-scentedness. 1843 R. H. Horne Orion ii. i. 199 Odorously Glistened the tear-drops of a new-fall'n shower. |