smell
nounverbtop 1 000 in film dialogue
- United States//smɛl//
A sensation, pleasant or unpleasant, detected by inhaling air (or, the case of water-breathing animals, water) carrying airborne molecules of a substance.
noun
- 1
A sensation, pleasant or unpleasant, detected by inhaling air (or, the case of water-breathing animals, water) carrying airborne molecules of a substance.
I love the smell of fresh bread.
- 2
The sense that detects odours.
In this interest we used the survey to obtain unique data about the memory-evoking power of smell. We found that the stronger the odor, the more likely it was to bring to mind a vivid memory.
- 3
A conclusion or intuition that a situation is wrong, more complex than it seems, or otherwise inappropriate.
I’m just saying, this has a bad smell to it.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *smel-der. Proto-West Germanic *smalljan Old English *smiellan Middle English smellen English smell From Middle English smellen, smillen, smyllen, smullen, from Old English *smyllan, *smiellan (“to smell, emit fumes”), from Proto-West Germanic *smallijan (“to glow, burn, smoulder”), from Proto-Indo-European *smel- (“to burn, smoke, smoulder; tar, pitch”). The noun is from Middle English smel, smil, smul (“smell, odour”). Related to Saterland Frisian smeele (“to smoulder”), Middle Dutch smōlen (“to burn, smoulder”) (whence Dutch smeulen (“to smoulder”)), Middle Low German smölen (“to be hazy, be dusty”) (whence Low German smölen (“smoulder”)), Low German smullen (“emit smoke”), West Flemish smoel (“stuffy, muggy, hazy”), Danish smul (“dust, powder”), Lithuanian smilkyti (“to incense, fumigate”), Lithuanian smilkti (“to smudge, smolder, fume, reek”), Lithuanian smalkinti (“to fume”), Middle Irish smál, smól, smúal (“fire, gleed, embers, ashes”), Russian смола́ (smolá, “resin, tar”). Compare smoulder, smother.
verb
- 1
To sense a smell or smells.
I can smell fresh bread.
Smell the milk and tell me whether it's gone off.
- 2
To sense a smell or smells. To detect or perceive; often with out.
I smell a device.
- 3
Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
The roses smell lovely.
Her feet smell of cheese.
The drunkard smelt like a brewery.
Philander went into the next room[…]and came back with a salt mackerel[…]. Next he put the mackerel in a fry-pan, and the shanty began to smell like a Banks boat just in from a v'yage.
- 4
Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad. To smell of; to have a smell of
I do smell all horse-piss
- 5
Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad. To smell bad; to stink.
Ew, this restroom smells (loathsomely).
- 6
figurativeFollowed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad. To have a particular tincture or smack of any quality; to savour.
A report smells of calumny.
Praises in an enemy are superfluous, or smell of craft.
- 7
obsoleteTo give heed to.
So from that tyme forwarde I began to ſmell the word of god, and forſoke the ſchole doctors and ſuch foolries.
Forms
- plural
- smells
- past tense
- smelled, smelt
- past participle
- smelled, smelt
- present participle
- smelling
- third person singular
- smells
smell · A sensation, pleasant or unpleasant, detected by inhaling air (or, the case of water-breathing animals, water) carrying airborne molecules of a…
smelling · Used in adjectival compounds.smelly · Having a bad smell.smelt · Any small anadromous fish of the family Osmeridae, found in…