Stench sb.

Forms: α. 1 stenc, stengc, 3–6 stenche, 3, 4, 6– stench. β. 6 staunch, 7–8 stanch. γ. 2–4 stunch(e, 3 Orm. stinnch, 4, 5–7 stinche, 5–8 stinch, 4–6 stynch(e, 6 stintch, styntche). [The α and β forms represent OE. stęnc masc. = OS. stanc (LG., Du. stank; Sw., Da. stank from LG.), OHG. stanch (MHG. stanc, mod.G. stank):—OTeut. types *stankwi-z, -kwo-z, f. *staŋkw- ablaut-var. of *stiŋkw- STINK v. The γ forms are morphologically a distinct word, repr. OE. *stync = OS. stunc masc.:—OTeut. type *stuŋkwi-z, f. the weak-grade of the same root.]

  † 1.  An odor, a smell (pleasant or unpleasant); also, the sense of smell. OE. only (very common).

c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., III. viii. (1890), 174. Swa micel swetnisse stenc.

971.  Blickl. Hom., 59. Þa swetan stencas ʓestincað þara wuduwyrta.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., II. 372/26. Ða fif andʓitu ures lichaman þæt sind ʓesihð, hlyst, swæcc, stenc, hrepung.

  2.  A foul, disgusting or noisome smell; a disagreeable or offensive odor, a stink.

  α.  c. 893.  Ælfred, Oros., V. 226. Eall forwearð … for þæm stence.

a. 900.  Bæda’s Hist., I. xiii. (1890), 48. Se wolberenda stenc þære lyfte.

a. 1225.  St. Marher., 11. His fule stench.

a. 1240.  Ureisun, in Cott. Hom., 193. Þer ne schulen heo neuer karien ne swinken, Ne weopen ne murnen ne helle stenches stinken.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 119. Wormes come out of his body, and þe stenche of hym greved all þe oost.

c. 1450.  Mirk’s Festial, 11. Anon þys fende vanechet away wyth an horrybull stenche.

c. 1491.  Chast. Goddes Chyld., 18. Wyckid sauours and fowle stenches.

1591.  Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., I. v. 23. So … Doues with noysome stench, Are from their … Houses driuen away.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 836. Nor cou’d Vulcanian Flame The Stench abolish, or the Savour tame.

1735.  Somerville, Chase, III. 158. Plunging he wades besmear’d, and fondly hopes In a superior Stench to lose his own.

1828.  Coleridge, Cologne, 4. In Köhln … I counted two and seventy stenches, All well defined, and several stinks!

1841.  Dickens, Barn. Rudge, lx. The air was perfumed with the stench of rotten leaves and faded fruit.

1883.  Stevenson, Treas. Isl., xvi. The nasty stench of the place turned me sick.

  β.  1652.  French, Yorksh. Spa, xiv. 104. I shall the better make to appear the Cause of its stanch and bitterness.

1653.  H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xlix. 190. The great stanch which proceeded from these dead bodies.

a. 1653.  Gouge, Comm. Heb. ix. 19. The cleer sun is noysome to dunghils … by reason of the stanch in the dunghil.

a. 1711.  Ken, Urania, Poet. Wks. 1721, IV. 473. Fear not the stanch nice Sense may meet.

  γ.  c. 1200.  Ormin, 1209. Sinness fule stinnch.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 216. & he schal bidon ham & pinen ham mid eche stunche iðe pine of helle.

c. 1290.  Brendan, 491, in S. Eng. Leg., 233. Strong was þe stunch and þe smoke.

1422.  Yonge, trans. Secreta Secret., xlv. 208. By the noosthurles we haue knowlech of odeurs and stynches.

1477.  Norton, Ord. Alch., v. in Ashm. (1652), 70. Stinch is a Vapour … Of things which of Evill Complexions be.

c. 1585.  [R. Browne], Answ. Cartwright, 6. I maruaile howe his penne coulde droppe downe such poyson, and he not smell the stinch thereof as he wrote it.

1643.  Baker, Chron., Hen. I., 60. His Physitian that tooke out his braines, with the intolerable stinch shortly after died.

1765.  J. Brown, Chr. Jrnl., 226. My candle is near wasted…. Now extinguished, it goes out with a stinch.

  3.  without article. Evil-smelling quality or property, offensive odor, stink.

  α.  c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 167. Þo ne mihte no man for stenche cumen him enden.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 216. Stench stihð uppard.

1340.  Ayenb., 248. Huerof ne may go out bote uelþe and stench.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIX. xl. (1495), 884. Stenche may be so stronge that it may be cause of soden deth.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., I. xi. 13. That all the ayre about with smoke and stench did fill.

1697.  Dryden, Æneis, VIII. 638. Till choak’d with Stench … The ling’ring Wretches pin’d away, and dy’d.

1756.  C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, III. 317. Acids cause neither stench nor precipitation in the above solution.

1849.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., v. I. 652. In the dungeon below all was darkness, stench, lamentation, disease and death.

1859.  Dickens, T. Two Cities, I. v. A narrow winding street, full of offence and stench.

  β.  1592.  Daniel, Epitaphium, Wks. (Grosart), I. 80. Fayre Rosamond … Who whilome sweetest smelt … Doth nowe w^th deadly staunch infest ye nose.

  γ.  c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 43. Þe siste [uþe wes] smorðer þe seofeþe ful stunch.

c. 1300.  Beket (Percy Soc.), 2306. Hit stonk so foule … That unethe myȝte eni man for stinche [S. E. Leg. line 2386 stunche] neȝ him beo.

13[?].  Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xxxvii. 970. Foul he stonk as stunch of helle.

c. 1440.  Jacob’s Well, 147. Eueremore he brast out horryble stynch.

c. 1530.  Judic. Urines, II. xii. 40. W^t stynche or els w^t euyll sauor at y^e nose.

1583.  Stubbes, Anat. Abuses (1877), 42. But inwardly is full of all stinche and lothsomnes.

1646.  Earl Monm., trans. Biondi’s Civil Warres, IX. 227. From Filth and Mire, nothing but Pollution and Stinch can be expected.

  4.  Something that smells offensively.

1595.  Shaks., John, III. iv. 26. Thou odoriferous stench, sound rottennesse.

1909.  Edin. Rev., Oct., 292. Brayton has long been a stench in the nostrils of all decent citizens.

  5.  attrib. and Comb., as stench-charged, -involved adjs.; stench-pipe, an extension of a soil-pipe to a point above the roof of a house, to allow foul gases to escape; stench-trap, a device in a drain, etc., to prevent the upward passage of noxious gas; a stink-trap.

1899.  Daily News, 28 Dec., 6/3. A noisome loft, *stench-charged and drenched with moisture from the rotten … thatch.

1730–46.  Thomson, Autumn, 1204. A proud city … convulsive hurled Sheer from the black foundation, *stench-involved, Into a gulf of blue sulphureous flame.

1891.  Rutland Gloss., s.v. Crookle, What you want is *stench-pipes. You run ’em up as high as your chimney, and they’ll be no eyesore.

1833.  Loudon, Encycl. Archit., § 1803. The whole to enter into one drain in each area, where a proper *stench-trap and grate are to be formed.