puzzo

See also: puzzò

Italian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈput.t͡so/
  • Rhymes: -uttso
  • Stress: pùzzo
  • Hyphenation: puz‧zo

Etymology 1

From Vulgar Latin *pūtium, derived from Latin pūteō.

Alternative forms

  • puzza (literary or regional) f

Noun

puzzo m (plural puzzi)

  1. (bad) smell, stink, stench
    Synonyms: fetore, leppo (literary), lezzo, mefite (literary), nidore (obsolete), olezzo, putore (literary, obsolete), puzza, puzzore (obsolete), tanfo
    Antonyms: aroma, effluvio, fragranza, olezzo (literary), profumo
    • 1321, Dante Alighieri, La divina commedia: Inferno [The Divine Comedy: Hell] (paperback), 12th edition, Le Monnier, published 1994, Canto IX, lines 28–33, page 135–136:
      Quell’è ’l più basso loco e ’l più oscuro, ¶ e ’l più lontan dal ciel che tutto gira: ¶ ben so ’l cammin: però ti fa sicuro. ¶ Questa palude che ’l gran puzzo spira ¶ cigne dintorno la città dolente, ¶ u’ non potemo intrare omai sanz’ira
      That is the lowest region and the darkest, and farthest from the heaven which circles all. Well know I the way; therefore be reassured. This fen, which a prodigious stench exhales, encompasses about the city dolent, where now we cannot enter without anger.
  2. (figuratively) hint, suspicion, inkling
    Synonyms: indizio, sentore
    Sento puzzo d'imbroglio in tutta questa faccenda.This whole affair stinks of fraud. (literally, “I smell stink of fraud in this whole affair.”)
  3. (figuratively, rare) An annoyingly excessive fuss (about something).
    Quanto puzzo per nulla!All this fuss about nothing! (literally, “How much fuss for nothing!”)
Derived terms

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

(io) puzzo

  1. first-person singular present indicative of puzzare

References

  • puzzo in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
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