Today's Word

Subscribe

Archives

A Random Word From the Archives

Permanent link for this word: osmic

A.Word.A.Day--osmic

osmic (OZ-mik) adjective

Of or relating to odors or the sense of smell.

[Greek osme, smell + -ic.]

Of, relating to, or containing osmium, especially in a compound with a valence of 4 or a valence higher than that in a comparable osmous compound.

[Osm (ium) + -ic.]

"If we asked God about the fragrance of sacrifices some people make for those in need, God might draw in a deep breath: `Umm! Pleasing!' And if we'd bring up clerical abuse, financial scandal and church involvement in the most crude and cruel human ventures, God might reel from the stench. Hooray, then, for osmic anthropomorphisms and how they remind us of grace and judgment, then and now." Martin E. Marty, Church smells, The Christian Century, Mar 8, 1995.

X-Bonus

What they say

“Anu Garg triggers the kind of passionate reaction that actors, authors and memoirists would die for.”
Read more



More articles

Anu Garg on words

“Overall, the universe’s apostrophe store stays in balance. It seems our linguistic world was intelligently designed -- for every gratuitous apostrophe there’s an instance where it’s omitted.”

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate