smell | WordDisk

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smell `noun` [ smɛl ]

• the faculty or power of perceiving odours or scents by means of the organs in the nose.

• "a highly developed sense of smell"

smell `verb`

• perceive or detect the odour or scent of (something).

• "I think I can smell something burning"

Similar: get a whiff of, scent, get a sniff of, detect the smell of,

• emit an odour or scent of a specified kind.

• "it smelled like cough medicine"

Origin: Middle English: of unknown origin.

smell blood

• discern weakness or vulnerability in an opponent.
"the leader of the opposition, who smelt blood, accused the government of the biggest tax hike ever"

smell a rat

• begin to suspect trickery or deception.
"when he died, investigators were called in and soon smelt a rat"

smell the roses

• enjoy or appreciate what is often ignored.
"they need to wake up and smell the roses"

smell out

• detect or discover something by the faculty of smell.
"his nose can smell out an animal from ten miles away"

smell up

• permeate a place or area with a bad smell.
"he smelled up the whole house"

smell noun [ smɛl ]