A strong, foul, or putrid smell; a stink.
From Latin 'foetere' meaning 'to stink' and 'fotor' meaning 'a bad smell.' This word entered English directly from Latin and has been used since the Middle Ages to describe offensive odors.
Medieval physicians actually believed that foetor (bad smells) caused diseases—a theory called 'miasma' that wasn't completely wrong, since bad smells often came from bacteria and rot that actually were dangerous!
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