Fume

noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A gas or vapour/vapor that is strong-smelling or dangerous to inhale.

    "Don't stand around in there breathing the fumes while the adhesive cures."

  2. 2
    a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas wordnet
  3. 3
    A material that has been vaporized from the solid or liquid state to the gas state and re-coalesced to the solid state.

    "Lead fume is a greyish powder, mainly comprising lead sulfate."

  4. 4
    Rage or excitement which deprives the mind of self-control.

    "The Fumes of his Passion do as really intoxicate and confound his judging and discerning Faculty , as the Fumes of Drink discompose and stupify the Brain of a Man over - charged with it."

  5. 5
    Anything unsubstantial or airy; idle conceit; vain imagination.

    "a show of fumes and fancies"

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  1. 6
    The incense of praise; inordinate flattery.

    "to smother him with fumes and eulogies"

  2. 7
    A passionate person. obsolete
Verb
  1. 1
    To expose (something) to fumes; specifically, to expose wood, etc., to ammonia in order to produce dark tints. transitive
  2. 2
    be wet with sweat or blood, as of one's face wordnet
  3. 3
    To apply or offer incense to. transitive

    "Tyrian garbs, / Neptunian Albion's high teſtaceous food [i.e., oysters], / And flavour'd Chian wines with incenſe fum'd / To ſlake Patrician thirſt: for theſe, their rights / In the vile ſtreets they proſtitute to ſale; / Their ancient rights, their dignities, their laws, / Their native glorious freedom."

  4. 4
    be mad, angry, or furious wordnet
  5. 5
    To emit fumes. intransitive

    "where the golden altar fumed"

Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    treat with fumes, expose to fumes, especially with the aim of disinfecting or eradicating pests wordnet
  2. 7
    To pass off in fumes or vapours. intransitive

    "whose parts are kept from fuming away, not only by their fixity[…]"

  3. 8
    emit a cloud of fine particles wordnet
  4. 9
    To express or feel great anger. figuratively

    "He’s still fuming about the argument they had yesterday."

  5. 10
    To be as in a mist; to be dulled and stupefied. figuratively, intransitive

    "Keep his brain fuming."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English fume, from Old French fum (“smoke, steam, vapour”), from Latin fūmus (“vapour, smoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂mós (“smoke”), from *dʰewh₂- (“to smoke, raise dust”). Doublet of thymus and thymos. More at dun, dusk, dust.

Etymology 2

From Middle English fume, from Old French fum (“smoke, steam, vapour”), from Latin fūmus (“vapour, smoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂mós (“smoke”), from *dʰewh₂- (“to smoke, raise dust”). Doublet of thymus and thymos. More at dun, dusk, dust.

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