‖n. [ NL., dim. fr. Gr. w, 'o`n egg. ] (Bot.) A genus of minute fungi which form a floccose mass of filaments on decaying fruit, etc. Many forms once referred to this genus are now believed to be temporary conditions of fungi of other genera, among them the vine mildew (Oïdium Tuckeri), which has caused much injury to grapes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. odi I hate. Cf. Annoy, Noisome. ] 1. Intense hatred or dislike; loathing; abhorrence. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. The quality that provokes hatred; offensiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]

She threw the odium of the fact on me. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The state of being intensely hated as the result of some despicable action; opprobrium; disrepute; discredit; reproach mingled with contempt; as, his conduct brought him into odium, or, brought odium upon him. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Odium theologicum ety>[ L. ], the enmity peculiar to contending theologians. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Hatred; abhorrence; detestation; antipathy. -- Odium, Hatred. We exercise hatred; we endure odium. The former has an active sense, the latter a passive one. We speak of having a hatred for a man, but not of having an odium toward him. A tyrant incurs odium. The odium of an offense may sometimes fall unjustly upon one who is innocent. [ 1913 Webster ]

I wish I had a cause to seek him there,
To oppose his hatred fully. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

You have . . . dexterously thrown some of the odium of your polity upon that middle class which you despise. Beaconsfield. [ 1913 Webster ]