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Book Glossary

smell

Dictionary definition · smell

noun

  1. the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form"she loved the smell of roses"
  2. any property detected by the olfactory system
  3. the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people"the feel of the city excited him"
  4. the faculty that enables us to distinguish scents
  5. the act of perceiving the odor of something

verb

  1. inhale the odor of; perceive by the olfactory sense
  2. emit an odor"The soup smells good"
  3. smell bad"He rarely washes, and he smells"
  4. have an element suggestive (of something)"his speeches smacked of racism"
  5. become aware of not through the senses but instinctively"I sense his hostility"

Similar words

odorodourolfactory perceptionolfactory sensationaromaolfactory propertyscentfeelfeelingflavor

Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).