fume
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fume
- /fjuːm/ UK
Rhymes with -uːm
Where it comes from
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.
noun fumes
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Anything unsubstantial or airy; idle conceit; vain imagination. a show of fumes and fancies
- The incense of praise; inordinate flattery. to smother him with fumes and eulogies
- A passionate person.
verb fumes · fuming · fumed
- To expose (something) to fumes; specifically, to expose wood, etc., to ammonia in order to produce dark tints.
- To apply or offer incense to. 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 fre
- To emit fumes. where the golden altar fumed
- To pass off in fumes or vapours. whose parts are kept from fuming away, not only by their fixity[…]
- To express or feel great anger. He’s still fuming about the argument they had yesterday.
- To be as in a mist; to be dulled and stupefied. Keep his brain fuming.
