Vote for the best verboticism.
DEFINITION: n. A wayward scent or aroma which invokes distant memories of one's childhood or younger days. v. To be suddenly catapulted into the past by a very strong odor.
Verboticisms
Click on each verboticism to read the sentences created by the Verbotomy writers, and to see your voting options...
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Melancholfactory
Created by: kalex
Pronunciation: Me-lin-kol-fa-k-ter-eee
Sentence: The smell had a melancholfactory essence, subtly reminding me of years before, when Jack and I had also caught ourselves on fire. Burnt flesh! That brings it all back!
Etymology: melancholy-a forlorn feeling sometimes associated with nostalgia olfactory-having to do with or of the sense of smell, odor
Reministench
Created by: splendiction
Pronunciation: re min i stench
Sentence: The acrid air wafting from the recycling bin reministenched Tony of the time the offensive odor of his brother's...Tony fled the funky room to awaken his parents. Presently Tony, clutching his stomach, reconsidered that his class recycle empty food containers. Suddenly one of Tony’s students announced: “Mr. N., Kitana left something in the recycling bin during art class. She ate some of the wall paper paste.”
Etymology: Reminisce (recall and think about a memory) and stench (bad or pungent odor): to smell a familiar odor and be reminded of the events surrounding the odor.
Olefactory
Created by: Banky
Pronunciation: /ohl-fak-torr-ee/
Sentence: Ron's nose smelled heated metal and stinging welled in his eyes. The punch had landed squarely on the bridge of his nose, and had trigged an olefactory reaction. He remembered the first time his stepdad had hit him. The terror as he grabbed him by the back of the shirt, the smell of red iron, a mouth full of blood, and his stepfather writhing and clawing at the side of his own head. He snapped out of the memory with a mouth full of salt and rubber, and there lay the mugger doubled much the way John was, years ago. He spat, and the ear landed askew on the ground, like a fallen leaf.
Etymology: ole - colloquial version of "old"; olfactory - relating to the sense of smell
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COMMENTS:
pretty graphic but a terrific word - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:28:00
Your sentence ranks right up there with the best of Steven King! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:41:00
Really good word and terrific sentence. - kateinkorea, 2009-03-23: 23:29:00
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Odorday
Created by: RightOnTheWin
Pronunciation: \ˈō-dər-ˈdā\
Sentence: Lucy was thrown into a flashback of an odorday when she sensed the salty water. She began to recall her childhood home near the ocean. Warm tears streamed down her cheek as she realized how much she missed her hometown. Lucy decided that she would visit there on her next vacation.
Etymology: Odor (A stimulating smell) + day (A particular point in time)
Retrostench
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: re-tro-stench
Sentence: Wandering through the empty bingo hall, Jean soon became aware of a retrostench that was clearly that of an old lady marinated in Lilly of the Valley toilet water perfume. "It couldn't be," she thought, "Grandma's been dead for 20 years."
Etymology: Retro--involving, relating to or reminicent of things past Stench--an offensive smell or odor
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COMMENTS:
super word - Jabberwocky, 2009-03-23: 12:25:00
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Smelementary
Created by: artr
Pronunciation: smel-uh-men-tree
Sentence: When Larry watched his grandchildren for the weekend they had a great time doing an art project together. As he caught a whiff of crayons and white paste he had a true smelementary moment.
Etymology: smell (to perceive something by its odor or scent) + elementary (of or pertaining to an elementary school)
Yesterwhiff
Created by: remistram
Pronunciation: yess-ter-wiff
Sentence: Whenever she ate at the local diner the yesterwhiff of bacon & eggs aroma made her smile.
Etymology: yesterday + whiff
Reminiscent
Created by: Negatrev
Pronunciation: rem-uh-nis-uhnt
Sentence: The bakery made bob reminiscent over his mothers baking as a child.
Etymology: reminiscent(awakening memories of something similar; suggestive (usually followed by of ): His style of writing is reminiscent of Melville's.) AND scent (to perceive or recognize by or as if by the sense of smell: to scent trouble.)
Mnaromonic
Created by: kateinkorea
Pronunciation: NARE oh MON ic
Sentence: When Sally was a child she was locked in a room and nobody could find the key. She had knocked over a bottle of ammonia and the smell took over the room. She cried for hours until finally they were able to break down the door. To this day ammonia causes a mnaromonic reaction in her.
Etymology: MNEMONIC + AROMA MNEMONIC: a word, sentence, poem, etc. that helps you to remember something AROMA: a smell
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COMMENTS:
using mnemonic to show that smells, like letters, can trigger memory was very clever! - silveryaspen, 2009-03-23: 13:34:00
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Remimisscents
Created by: mrskellyscl
Pronunciation: rem-i-miss-scents
Sentence: The sweet fragrance of sticky buns and coffee propelled Sue into remimisscents of a childhood spent with her grandmother, whose baking prowess was legendary. She yearned for those happy, carefree days when she could eat as many sweet treats as she wanted to without gaining an ounce. She missed Grandma, too.
Etymology: reminiscence: an experience or event recollected; an event that brings to mind a similar, former event + miss: to long for + scents: aroma; fragrance
Comments:
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James
silveryaspen - 2009-03-23: 14:34:00
The score details are a great enhancement and have helped me understand them. Thank you!
Wow! This phenomenon seems to be more widespread than i thought! Apparently it's one of our more primal instincts.
RE: Score Details. I am still looking for a bug where it fails to add some votes to our weekly totals. Hopefully the score details page will help us find it. ~ James
Today's definition was suggested by metrohumanx. Thank you metrohumanx. ~ James