metallic element of the platinum group, 1803, coined in Modern Latin by its discoverer, English chemist Smithson Tennant (1761-1815) from Greek osmē "smell, scent, odor" good or bad, from PIE root *hed- "to smell" (see odor). With metallic element ending -ium. So called for the pungent smell of its oxide, a highly poisonous acid. The densest stable element, it commonly is found in alloy with iridium. Related: Osmic; osmious.
c. 1400, of flowers, food, etc., "having or diffusing a fresh and sweet scent," from Old French redolent "emitting an odor" and directly from Latin redolentem (nominative redolens), present participle of redolere "emit a scent, diffuse odor," from red-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see re-), + olere "give off a smell" (see odor). The meaning "odorous or smelling" of (or with) something is by 1700; figurative use of this is by 1828. Related: Redolently.
The -d- to -l- alteration in Latin is the so-called "Sabine -L-"; compare Latin olere "smell," from root of odor, and Ulixes, the Latin form of Greek Odysseus. The Medieval Latin practice of writing -ch- for -c- before Latin -r- also altered anchor, pulchritude, sepulchre. The -y- is pedantic, from the former belief that the word was pure Greek. Earlier in the same sense was lachrymental (1620s). Middle English had lacrymable "tearful" (mid-15c.).
mid-14c., "an odor," from Old French flaire "odor or scent," especially in hunting, "fragrance, sense of smell," from flairier "to give off an odor; stink; smell sweetly" (Modern French flairer), from Vulgar Latin *flagrare, a dissimilation of Latin fragrare "emit (a sweet) odor" (see fragrant). Sense of "special aptitude" is American English, 1925, probably from hunting and the notion of a hound's ability to track scent.
mid-13c., "strong offensive odor," from stink (v.). Sense of "extensive fuss" is attested by 1812.
