odour of sanctity

== English == === Etymology === A calque of French odeur de sainteté (“sweet smell said to be emitted by bodies of saints at or after death”), from Late Latin odor sānctitātis (literally “odour of sanctity”) (compare odor suāvitātis (literally “sweet odour”)), from odor (“(sweet) smell, odour”) + sānctitātis (genitive singular of sānctitās (“sacredness, sanctity; holiness, virtue”)). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌəʊdəɹ‿əv ˈsæŋktɪti/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˌoʊdəɹ‿əv ˈsæŋktɪti/ Hyphenation: odour of sanct‧i‧ty === Noun === odour of sanctity (usually uncountable, plural odours of sanctity) (British spelling) (chiefly Christianity, historical, especially Middle Ages) A sweet smell, usually likened to that of flowers, said to be emitted by the bodies of saints during their life, or especially at or after death. (figurative) A person's reputation for, or state of, holiness. (chiefly humorous or ironic) A (supposed) general aura of goodness or virtue. ==== Alternative forms ==== odor of sanctity (American spelling) ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== in bad odor, in bad odour in good odor, in good odour smell like a rose === References === === Further reading === odour of sanctity on Wikipedia.Wikipedia “odour of sanctity, n.”, in Collins English Dictionary, 2011–present. “odor of sanctity, n.”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.