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stench (n.)
Old English stenc "a smell, odor, scent, fragrance" (either pleasant or unpleasant), from Proto-Germanic *stankwiz (source also of Old Saxon stanc, Old High German stanch, German stank). Related to stincan "emit a smell" (see stink (v.)) as drench is to drink. It tended toward "bad smell" in Old English (as a verb, only with this sense), and the notion of "evil smell" has predominated since c. 1200.
updated on November 27, 2013
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Dictionary entries near stench
stellar
stellate
stem
stem-winder
Sten
stench
stencil
steno-
stenographer
stenography
stenosis