Fume
In short
A fume is a visible or invisible gas or smoke produced by a chemical reaction or burning material.
In plain words
It is a strong-smelling vapour that often comes from something on fire or a chemical process. These gases can sometimes be dangerous to breathe.
A simple example
When you use a strong cleaning liquid, the sharp smell rising from the bottle is a fume. Similarly, the smoke from a car exhaust contains harmful fumes.
Why it matters
Fumes can cause health problems like coughing or dizziness if inhaled. Understanding them helps people use chemicals and fuels safely.
Easy to mix up
Do not confuse fumes with steam, which is just water vapour and is generally harmless.