Mephitic
[mə-FIHD-ik]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin, early 17th century
1.
Offensive smelling
2.
Harmful or poisonous
Examples of Mephitic in a sentence
"The man with dirty clothes and an overgrown, unruly beard was responsible for the mephitic air on the plane."
"All of the students received a safety lecture before chemistry class because many of the solutions were mephitic if handled incorrectly."
About Mephitic
Noxious is an adjective that means harmful or unpleasant. It could describe a substance, or even a person. It’s often used in the definition of mephitic, which is an adjective commonly applied to gaseous odors. It’s all about the shades of meaning. That annoying person in your office who always takes credit for your work could be described as noxious, but if she also wears way too much perfume, she’s mephitic.
Did you Know?
Mephitic is most often used in relation to a gas, or the air. Certain common chemicals in your house can turn dangerous when used inappropriately. Be careful not to mix bleach and ammonia, or you’ll create a gas that satisfies both definitions of mephitic — foul smelling and poisonous.
