1. Plural of effluvium; a foul-smelling or noxious vapor or gas, especially one emitted from decaying matter.
Usage: Formal or technical usage; Often used in scientific or medical contexts
2. Invisible emanations or influences believed to flow from objects or persons; an aura or subtle discharge.
Usage: Archaic or literary usage; Historically used in pseudoscientific contexts

Examples

• The effluviums rising from the swamp made the air difficult to breathe.
• Scientists studied the effluviums released by the decomposing organic matter.
• The laboratory detected harmful effluviums escaping from the chemical storage area.
• Medieval physicians believed diseases spread through invisible effluviums in the air.
• The effluviums from the factory were so strong that residents complained to local authorities.