smell

[ smel ]

verb (used with object)

, smelled or smelt, smell·ing.

1. to perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves; inhale the odor of:

   I smell something burning.

2. to test by the sense of smell:

   She smelled the meat to see if it was fresh.

3. to perceive, detect, or discover by shrewdness or sagacity:

   The detective smelled foul play.

verb (used without object)

, smelled or smelt, smell·ing.

1. to perceive something by its odor or scent.
2. to search or investigate (followed by around or about ).
3. to give off or have an odor or scent:

   Do the yellow roses smell?

4. to give out an offensive odor; stink.
5. to have a particular odor (followed by of ):

   My hands smell of fish.

6. to have a trace or suggestion (followed by of ).
7. Informal. to be of inferior quality; stink:

   The play is good, but the direction smells.

8. Informal. to have the appearance or a suggestion of guilt or corruption:

   They may be honest, but the whole situation smells.

noun

1. the sense of smell; faculty of smelling.
2. the quality of a thing that is or may be smelled; odor; scent.
3. a trace or suggestion.
4. an act or instance of smelling.
5. a pervading appearance, character, quality, or influence:

   the smell of money.

verb phrase

1. to look for or detect as if by smelling; search out:

   to smell out enemy spies.

2. to fill with an offensive odor; stink up:

   The garbage smelled up the yard.

smell

/ smɛl /

verb

1. tr to perceive the scent or odour of (a substance) by means of the olfactory nerves
2. copula to have a specified smell; appear to the sense of smell to be

   some tobacco smells very sweet

   the beaches smell of seaweed

3. introften foll byof to emit an odour (of)

   the park smells of flowers

4. intr to emit an unpleasant odour; stink
5. troften foll byout to detect through shrewdness or instinct
6. intr to have or use the sense of smell; sniff
7. intrfoll byof to give indications (of)

   he smells of money

8. intr; foll by around, about, etc to search, investigate, or pry
9. copula to be or seem to be untrustworthy or corrupt
10. smell a rat
    to detect something suspicious

noun

1. that sense (olfaction) by which scents or odours are perceived olfactory
2. anything detected by the sense of smell; odour; scent
3. a trace or indication
4. the act or an instance of smelling

Derived Forms

• ˈsmeller, noun

Other Words From

• smella·ble adjective
• smell-less adjective
• outsmell verb (used with object) outsmelled or outsmelt outsmelling
• un·smelled adjective
• un·smelling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of smell¹

First recorded in 1125–75; early Middle English smell, smull (noun), smellen, smullen (verb); origin uncertain.

Word History and Origins

Origin of smell¹

C12: of uncertain origin; compare Middle Dutch smölen to scorch

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. smell a rat. rat ( def 6 ).

More idioms and phrases containing smell

• come up (smelling like) roses
• stink (smell) to high heaven

Synonym Study

See odor.

Example Sentences

“On Earth we have lots of different smells, like washing machine laundry or fresh air. But in space there’s just one smell, and we get used to it quickly,” explains Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, who spent eight days on the Soviet space station Mir in 1991.

From BBC

But that spacewalk can introduce something novel to the space station - the metallic “space smell”.

From BBC

“Radiation forms free radicals on the surface, and they react with oxygen inside the space station, creating a metallic smell,” she says.

From BBC

What do you eat - and, importantly, what is the “space smell”?

From BBC

One of the problems with devices designed to make people essentially invisible to sharks is that eyesight isn’t the only tool they use to detect prey: They also use their sense of smell and their ability to detect vibrations in the water.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aroma
• bouquet
• flavor
• perfume
• scent
• stench
• stink
• trace
• whiff