WORD FOR THE DAY: OLID

Your word for today is: olid, adj.

olid, adj.

[‘Having a strong and unpleasant smell; fetid, rank. Also in extended use.’]

Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈɒlɪd/,  U.S. /ˈɑləd/

Etymology: <  classical Latin olidus having an offensive smell, stinking <  olēre to smell (see olent adj.) + -idus -id suffix¹. Compare earlier olidous adj.

 Now literary.

  Having a strong and unpleasant smell; fetid, rank. Also in extended use.

1680  R. Boyle Exper. & Notes Prodvcibleness Chymicall Princ. i. 57 in Sceptical Chymist (new ed.), Urine; of which..olid and despicable liquor I chose to make an Instance.

1713  J. Smith tr. Chaucer in Poems upon Several Occasions 349 Fretting he scrubs to wipe away the Savour Of Olid Salts, and Ammoniack Flavour.

1822  J. M. Good Study Med. II. 582 The sweat is copious, but proves by its sour and olid smell that it is a morbid secretion.

1921  H. Allen Wampum & Old Gold 26 And poison honey festers in their pods, Olid as tales of lust told long ago About the wanton mother of the gods.

1977  D. Abse Coll. Poems 26 They in some intimate, cruel game engaged—horrid, olid, and medieval.

2001 Weekend Austral. (Nexis) 29 Sept. r28 Ours are always the most badly behaved dogs, defying all our frantic efforts to curb their bad manners and olid presence.

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