body odor, an unpleasant scent associated with stale perspiration. Freshly secreted perspiration is odorless, but after exposure to the atmosphere and bacterial activity at the surface of the skin, chemical changes occur to produce the odor. Common body odor usually can be eliminated by washing and cleansing. Body odors can also be the result of illness or environmental changes, discharges from a variety of skin conditions, cancer, fungal infections, hemorrhoids, leukemia, and ulcers. See also bromhidrosis.
