reek
n. countablen. a strong, unpleasant smell. You use this word to describe a bad odor that is very noticeable.
n. a strong, offensive, or pungent smell. Often used in the context of decay, dampness, or chemical substances.
The old basement was full of a damp reek.
The kitchen was filled with the reek of spoiled milk after the power went out for three days.
The air in the industrial district was thick with the reek of sulfur and iron, a constant reminder of the heavy machinery operating just beyond the city limits.
From Middle English rek, reke (“smoke”), from Old English rēc, from Proto-West Germanic rauki, from Proto-Germanic raukiz, from Proto-Indo-European *rowgi-. See also West Frisian reek, riik, Dutch rook, Low German Röök, German Rauch, Danish røg, Norwegian Bokmål røyk; also Lithuanian rū̃kti (“to smoke”), rū̃kas (“smoke, fog”), Albanian regj (“to tan”).
From Middle English reken (“to smoke”), from Old English rēocan, from Proto-West Germanic reukan, from Proto-Germanic reukaną, from Proto-Indo-European *rougi-. See above. Related to Dutch ruiken, Low German rüken, German riechen, Danish ryge, Swedish ryka.
From Middle English reke (“heap, pile”), from Old English hrēac.
Probably a transferred use (after Irish cruach (“stack (of corn), pile, mountain, hill”)) of a variant of rick, with which it is cognate.