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.
"having a good sense of smell, having well-developed olfactory organs," 1878, from French osmatique, apparently coined by Paul Broca, from Greek osmē "smell, scent, odor" from PIE root *hed- "to smell" (see odor). Related: Anosmatic.
early 13c., past tense and alternative past participle of hide (v.1).
How to entangle, trammel up and snare
Your soul in mine, and labyrinth you there
Like the hid scent in an unbudded rose?
Aye, a sweet kiss — you see your mighty woes.
[Keats, from "Lamia," 1820]
"to draw air into and expel it from the lungs; to inhale and exhale (a scent, etc.)," c. 1200, not in Old English, but it retains the original Old English vowel of its source word, breath. To breathe (one's) last "die" is from 1590s. To breathe down the back of (someone's) neck "be close behind" is by 1946. Related: Breathed; breathing.
