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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.

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