to nose
- verb
- /noʊz/
- Took them to the port, where ships nosed in from Bremerhaven, Bristol, and Bergen.
- nosed the car
- nosed the boat
- nosed the plane
Examples
-
I left Pittsburgh the next day, shedding the cold as the plane nosed above a lid of cloud.
Fiction book (2002) -
The way a tide noses a blue boat out or in.
Fiction book (2002) -
I started the engine and nosed the car onto the highway.
Fiction book (1992) -
As he tried to scramble to his feet, the aircraft nosed down, and they started to lose altitude.
Fiction book (1991) -
Commander Stane tried nosing the machine through the dirt, but it was firmly trapped and held.
Fiction book (1993) -
As quickly as he could, Curt pulled into the parking area and nosed in next to the Wouton pickup.
Fiction book (1999) -
The captain grabs the yokes as the plane noses over into a steep dive.
Fiction book (1996) -
Banking sharply, our propeller plane fights the wind; then, gaining headway, it noses closer to the earth.
Fiction book (1991) -
McCaleb reverses the prop as he noses up to the buoy.
Fiction book (2002) -
As the ship nosed into the harbor, passengers eagerly leaned over the rail to get their first glimpse of the city.
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
To show open disrespect by refusing to follow rules or customs
- Informal
To work hard for a long time on a difficult task without stopping
Deliberately do something that hurts you more than the person you want to punish
- Informal
To think about things beyond your own immediate needs
Phrasal Verbs
To move the nose so it makes small lines to show you do not like something
- Informal
To try to take part in other people's business without being asked
Compounds
- Specialized
The pointed front part of a rocket, missile, or plane that protects important parts and reduces air resistance during flight
A sudden steep fall that often happens to a plane with its front pointing down or to prices
- Specialized
An enlarged red nose with visible blood vessels that often comes from heavy drinking
- Archaic
A nose that becomes large and red with visible veins from long heavy drinking
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Etymology
To nose something (move it forward slowly) comes from the image of the front or 'nose' pushing ahead, from the old word nosu. So to nose a car or bike is to push its front part forward carefully.