smell 
smell (smel)
transitive verb smelled or Brit.smelt, smell′·ing
- to be or become aware of by means of the nose and the olfactory nerves; detect the scent or odor of
- to sense the presence or existence of to smell trouble
- to test by the scent or odor; sniff smell the milk to tell if it's sour
Etymology: ME smellen < OE *smyllan < IE base *smel-, to burn slowly > smolder: basic sense “to give off smoke”
intransitive verb
- to use the sense of smell; sniff: often with at or of
- to have or emit a scent or odor flowers that do not smell
- to have or emit an unpleasant odor; stink
- to have the odor or a suggestion (of) breath that smells of garlic
- Informal
- to lack ability, worth, etc.; be of poor quality
- to be foul, corrupt, mean, etc.
noun
- that one of the five senses of the body by which a substance is perceived through the chemical stimulation of the olfactory nerves in the nasal cavity by particles given off by that substance
- the characteristic stimulation of any specific substance upon the olfactory nerves; odor; scent
- an act of smelling
- that which suggests the presence or existence of something; trace; suggestion
Etymology: ME smel
smell out
to look for or find by or as by smelling
smell up
to fill with a bad odor; cause to stink
smell
n.
A pleasant smell
fragrance, odor, scent, perfume, exhalation, redolence, essence, aroma, bouquet, trail, trace, emanation. An unpleasant smell
malodor, stench, fetidness, stink, mephitis, mustiness, rancidity, effluvium, foulness, reek, uncleanness, fume. The sense of smell
smelling, detection, olfactory perception, nasal sensory power, olfactory sensitivity, olfaction, response to olfactory stimuli.
smell is the most general word for any quality perceived through the olfactory sense foul and fresh smells; scent refers to the emanation from the thing smelled, often implying that it can be discriminated only by a sensitive sense of smell the scent of a hunted animal; odor suggests a heavier emanation and, therefore, one that is more generally perceptible and more clearly recognizable chemical odors; aroma suggests a pervasive, pleasant, often sharp odor the aroma of fine tobacco
smell
v.
Object
- rat: Natalie isnât stupid; having smelled a rat, she is lying in wait.
- stench: Some will have heard the cries of beggars in the streets; some will have smelled the stench of open sewers.
- scent: I smell the many scents of a wood in autumn.
- aroma: I can also still smell the wonderful aromas of Potter Bailey.
- odor: However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call " beer.
Noun phrase with adjective complement
- fishy: I smell something fishy, and I'm not talking about the contents of Baldrick's apple crumble.
Adjective modifier
- pungent: It smelled of Africa, that pungent spicy smell from the sage bushes.
- musty: The musty smell of moss and pregnant decay would not greet him.
- acrid: The acrid smell of burnt eagle feathers hung in the air.
- unpleasant: The slime which covers the skin has a strong but not unpleasant, smell.
- overpowering: All well and good you might think but how can we work with that overpowering paint smell?
- fishy: At least that fishy smell about the place has gone.
Adjective complement
- fishy: They smell fishy, or some people say, of new-mown hay or Jasmine tea.
- musty: Don't feed hay which is dusty, or smells musty.
Preposition: of
- urine: For example; Daisy Boyd, aged 68 years, arrives late for her routine appointment smelling of urine.
- incense: Large cushions and rugs had been flung about and the smell of strong incense or perfume filled the air.
- rose: Thankfully I came out of that situation smelling of roses!
- smoke: They may have returned home with clothes smelling of smoke.
- sulfur: It was fairly near one of the blanket mills and I won't forget the overwhelming smell of sulfur as one passed by.
Preposition: like
- skunk: You smell like a skunk soaking in sardine nectar for a week.
All creatures give out a smell when aroused, it seems; certainly humans do.
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing inittositdownonor to eat: it was a hobbit-hole,and that means comfort.
The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out like shining from shook foil Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil; And wearsman'ssmudgeand sharesman'ssmell: thesoil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
The winter evening settles down With smell of steaks in passageways Six o'clock. The burnt-out ends of smoky days.
Ishould haveno objectiontothismethod, butthat Ithink it must smell too strong of the lamp.
I have been here before, But when or how I cannot tell: I know the grass beyond the door, The sweet keen smell, The sighing sound, the lights around the shore.
For a long time we dreamed of a real leather ball, and at last my brother had one for his birthday. The feel of the leather, the stitching round it, the faint gold letters stamped upon it, the touch of the seam, the smell of it, all affected me so deeply that I still have that ache of beauty when I hold a cricket ball.
McLuhan put a telescope to his ear; What a lovely smell, he said, we have here.
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