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English
Etymology
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.
Pronunciation
Noun
fume (plural 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.
1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: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.
1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, , published 1857, →OCLC:In his execution of this mission, Mr Tinkler perhaps expressed that Mr Dorrit was in a raging fume.
- Anything unsubstantial or airy; idle conceit; vain imagination.
a. 1627 (date written), Francis , “Considerations Touching a VVarre vvith Spaine. ”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany VVorks of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. , London: I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, , published 1629, →OCLC:a show of fumes and fancies
- The incense of praise; inordinate flattery.
- (obsolete) A passionate person.
Usage notes
- In the sense of strong-smelling or dangerous vapor, the noun is typically plural, as in the example.
Derived terms
Translations
gas or vapor that is strong-smelling or dangerous to inhale
material that has re-coalesced to the solid state
anything unsubstantial or airy
incense of praise; inordinate flattery
Verb
fume (third-person singular simple present fumes, present participle fuming, simple past and past participle fumed)
- (transitive) To expose (something) to fumes; specifically, to expose wood, etc., to ammonia in order to produce dark tints.
- (transitive) To apply or offer incense to.
1740, John Dyer, “The Ruins of Rome. A Poem.”, in Poems. Viz. I. Grongar Hill. II. The Ruins of Rome. III. The Fleece, in Four Books, London: Printed by John Hughs, for Messrs. R and J Dodsley, , published 1759, →OCLC, pages 42–43: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.
- (intransitive) To emit fumes.
1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker ; nd by Robert Boulter ; nd Matthias Walker, , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC:where the golden altar fumed
a. 1686, Earl of Roscommon [i.e., Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon], Samuel Johnson, “Virgil’s Sixth Eclogue, Silenus”, in The Works of the English Poets. With Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, , volumes X (The Poems of Rochester, Roscommon, and Yalden), London: E. Cox; for C. Bathurst, , published 1779, page 234, →OCLC:Young Chromis and Mnaſylus chanc'd to ſtray / Where (ſleeping in a cave) Silenus lay, / Whoſe conſtant cups fly fuming to his brain, / And always boil in each extended vein; / His truſty flaggon, full of potent juice, / Was hanging by, worn thin with age and uſe; [...]
- (intransitive) To pass off in fumes or vapours.
1704, I N, “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. , London: Sam Smith, and Benj Walford, printers to the Royal Society, , →OCLC:whose parts are kept from fuming away, not only by their fixity […]
- (intransitive or reporting verb, figuratively) To express or feel great anger.
He’s still fuming about the argument they had yesterday.
1700, Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC:He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground.
1995 March 3, The Oregonian, page 21:His strong stand has made him a lightning rod for criticism by rail proponents, including some of his own friends. Herb Bridge […] is among Freeman's critics on the rail issue. " […] I think he has an elitist attitude and doesn't want poor people in his mall," fumed Bridge, who operates a store in Freeman's mall.
- (intransitive, figuratively) To be as in a mist; to be dulled and stupefied.
c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :Keep his brain fuming.
Derived terms
Translations
to expose (something) to fumes
to apply or offer incense to
to pass off in fumes or vapours
to express or feel great anger
to be as in a mist; to be dulled and stupefied
Asturian
Verb
fume
- first-person singular present subjunctive of fumar
- third-person singular present subjunctive of fumar
French
Pronunciation
Verb
fume
- inflection of fumer:
- first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
- second-person singular imperative
Anagrams
Galician
Etymology
Attested since circa 1300. From Old Galician-Portuguese fumo (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin fūmus, although the final vowel could imply an Old French borrowing. Cognate with Portuguese fumo and Spanish humo.
Pronunciation
Noun
fume m (plural fumes)
- smoke
c. 1300, R. Martínez López, editor, General Estoria. Versión gallega del siglo XIV, Oviedo: Publicacións de Archivum, page 209:coyda que o bafo et fume daquel fogo que ensuzou et [empoçoou] as agoas et aterra daly- he thinks that the fumes and the smoke of that fire defiled and poisoned the waters and the soil there
- 1348, J. Méndez Pérez & al. (eds.), El monasterio de San Salvador de Chantada, Santiago de Compostela: I. Padre Sarmiento, page 326:
a vida deste mundo he asy como a sonbra, et quando ome se deleyta en ella he asy como o fumo' que se vay logo- the life in this world is like the shadow, and when a man delight in it is like the smoke, which soon goes away
- fume
- Synonyms: bafo, vapor
- (figurative, in the plural) haughtiness
Verb
fume
- inflection of fumar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
References
- Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “fume”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
- Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “fume”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
- Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “fume”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
- Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “fume”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
- Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “fume”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN
Latin
Noun
fūme
- vocative singular of fūmus
Middle English
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Old French fum, from Latin fūmus, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂mós.
Pronunciation
Noun
fume (plural fumes)
- Visible gaseous emanations; fumes or smoke.
- Any sort of vapour or gaseous emanation.
- (physiology) Fumes as the supposed cause of feelings.
- (rare) An airborne scent or odour.
Descendants
References
Etymology 2
From Old French fumer.
Verb
fume
- Alternative form of fumen
Norwegian Nynorsk
Verb
fume (present tense fumar, past tense fuma, past participle fuma, passive infinitive fumast, present participle fumande, imperative fume/fum)
- (pre-2012) alternative form of fomme
Portuguese
Pronunciation
Verb
fume
- inflection of fumar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
Spanish
Verb
fume
- inflection of fumar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
Tarantino
Noun
fume
- smoke