fume

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

• (UK) IPA^(key): /fjuːm/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːm

Noun

fume (plural fumes)

1. 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.

   • 1753, Thomas Warton, Ode:

     the fumes of new-shorn hay

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Anything unsubstantial or airy; idle conceit; vain imagination.
   • a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works 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

5. The incense of praise; inordinate flattery.
   • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:

     to smother him with fumes and eulogies

6. (obsolete) A passionate person.

Verb

fume (third-person singular simple present fumes, present participle fuming, simple past and past participle fumed)

1. (transitive) To expose (something) to fumes; specifically, to expose wood, etc., to ammonia in order to produce dark tints.
2. (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[obert] and J[ames] 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.

3. (intransitive) To emit fumes.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]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; [...]

4. (intransitive) To pass off in fumes or vapours.
   • 1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC:

     whose parts are kept from fuming away, not only by their fixity […]

5. (intransitive or reporting verb, figuratively) To express or feel great anger.

   He’s still fuming about the argument they had yesterday.

   • 1700, [John] 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.

   • 1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “(please specify the introduction or canto number, or chapter name)”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC:

     Her mother did fret, and her father did fume.

   • 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.

6. (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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

     Keep his brain fuming.

Verb

fume

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of fumar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of fumar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fym/
• Homophones: fument, fumes, fûmes

Verb

fume

1. inflection of fumer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

• meuf

Alternative forms

• fumo

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

• IPA^(key): [ˈfumɪ]

Noun

fume m (plural fumes)

1. 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

2. fume

   Synonyms: bafo, vapor

3. (figurative, in the plural) haughtiness

Verb

fume

1. inflection of fumar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. 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: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• 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

Noun

fūme

1. vocative singular of fūmus

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French fum, from Latin fūmus, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰuh₂mós.

Etymology 2

From Old French fumer.

Verb

fume (present tense fumar, past tense fuma, past participle fuma, passive infinitive fumast, present participle fumande, imperative fume/fum)

1. (pre-2012) alternative form of fomme

Pronunciation

Verb

fume

1. inflection of fumar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Verb

fume

1. inflection of fumar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Noun

fume

1. smoke