the.com/reek
The smell that arrives before you do and leaves after you're gone.
means To give off a strong, unpleasant smell.
from From Old English 'rēocan,' meaning to smoke or emit vapor — related to Dutch 'rieken' and German 'riechen' (to smell). It originally had nothing to do with stench specifically; it meant smoke or steam rising off something, like a chimney or a sweating horse. Over centuries the word narrowed its focus from 'visible vapor' to 'the bad smell that often comes with it,' which is why 'reeking' still carries a faint ghost of something hot and rising, not just foul.
- old norse
- from reykr, meaning smoke or vapor
- game of thrones
- Theon's slave name, chosen for stench of shame
- scottish usage
- Edinburgh nicknamed Auld Reekie for its smoky skyline
- grammar quirk
- can be noun or verb, both equally unpleasant