I. ˈrēk noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English rek, reke, from Old English rēc; akin to Old Frisian rēk smoke, Old Saxon rōk, Old High German rouh, Old Norse reykr, Old English rēocan to reek
1. chiefly dialect : smoke
2. : vapor , mist , fog
the wettest imaginable blanket of sea reek enveloped us — Osbert Sitwell
3. : a strong or disagreeable fume or odor
exuded the sharp, spiced reek of tobacco — A.W.Turnbull
the overpowering reek of sewage
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English reken, from Old English rēocan; akin to Old Frisian rēka to smoke, Old High German rouhhan to smoke, smoke up, Old Norse rjūka to smoke, steam
intransitive verb
1. : to emit smoke or vapor
a marsh reeking in the sun
2.
a. : to give off or become permeated with a strong offensive odor
horses that reek with sweat
a restaurant that reeks of garlic
b. : to give a strong impression of some constituent quality or feature : show permeation with a dominant quality or feature
a mean building which reeked of poverty — D.G.Gerahty
historical best sellers reek with sentiment — A.L.Guérard
3. : emanate , issue , rise , fume
smoke which still away did reek … from that eternal pyre — John Keats
an atmosphere … which reeked up from decayed trees — E.A.Poe
transitive verb
1. : to subject to the action of smoke or vapor
2. : to give off as or as if a reek : exhale , exude , vent
his manner reeks prosperity
Synonyms: see emit
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: origin unknown
Scotland : equip , outfit
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably alteration of rick (I)
dialect Britain : heap , pile
V. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
dialect Britain : to pile up : heap
VI.
Scotland
variant of reach