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to nose

to nose

2 5.0
To find something by sniffing around
  • verb
  • /noʊz/
: olfatear
  • The detective began to nose around the suspect's apartment for any clues.
  • to nose around
  • a dog nosed
  • to nose through trash

Examples

  • You saying you can't nose out some dope when it's around?

  • My cat loves to nose through the boxes in the attic, searching for hidden treasures.

  • Had there ever been a dog that did not nose into the trash bin sometime in its life?

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Clockie tried to nose his way into my pie, but I pushed him away.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • He's probably just nosing through the trash there.

  • Wolf was nosing around the inner organs; intestines were a favorite of his.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The camel noses its way through the desert floor, coming across a few shrubs.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • In the stall, the horse was nosing at the last scatter of a flake of hay.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Bernice bleated and began nosing in the grass for the spilled sweetening.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • A gang of large rats crawls through the tracks, nosing through balled-up paper bags, candy wrappers, and orange peels.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

to smell
vsto nose
941 1.0

To notice a scent with your nose

involves actively detecting or searching for things by scent or investigation
to sniff out
vsto nose
  • Informal
35 4.0

Find something by searching, often by smell

emphasizes detection by smell or close investigation rather than passive sensing
to scent
vsto nose
3 3.5

To use the sense of smell to find something, often by animals

is used for people or animals to detect things by smell
to nose out
vsto nose
  • Informal
1 6.9

Find something after careful searching

uses the sense of smell or close investigation rather than only careful search
to scent out
vsto nose
1 5.6

To find something by smell or by careful searching

is about detecting by actual smell or close careful investigation

Antonyms

205 2.9

To not notice someone or something you should see

Idioms

71 6.4

Happens very near someone when they do not notice

on the nose
  • Informal
18 5.9

Exactly correct in every detail

by a nose
  • Informal
7 4.9

To win with a very small lead in a race or contest

5 8.0

Give much more money than normal for something

4 7.7

Make someone do what you want without them noticing

4 6.3

To work hard for a long time without stopping

3 9.2

Feeling annoyed because someone ignored you or treated you badly

It does not bother me if something happens

Deliberately do something that hurts you more than the person you want to punish

the nose knows
  • Informal
1 9.8

To trust a feeling that something is wrong

1 9.9

A phrase people say to make fun of someone who brags

1 7.5

To do something unpleasant because it is necessary

To avoid trouble and not attract bad attention

To work hard for a long time on a difficult task without stopping

8.2

To go to the restroom to fix makeup or hair as a polite excuse

To think about things beyond your own immediate needs

9.2

To show open disrespect by refusing to follow rules or customs

To show you think something is not good enough

Phrasal Verbs

to brown-nose
  • Offensive
5 8.2

To flatter someone in power without meaning it to get their favor

To make a person's nose feel slightly itchy so they want to sneeze

2 8.0

To get involved in other people's business when not wanted

to nose out
  • Informal
1 6.9

Find something after careful searching

1 7.3

To try to take part in other people's business without being asked

1 5.3

To put a finger in your nose to remove mucus

To get involved in other people's business without being asked

To move the nose so it makes small lines to show you do not like something

Compounds

nose job
  • Informal
33 4.6

An operation to change the shape of the nose to make it look better

18 4.1

A nose injury that makes blood come out or a small defeat for someone

12 3.8

A small metal piece worn through the nose for decoration or to control an animal

8 5.3

A sudden steep fall that often happens to a plane with its front pointing down or to prices

nose candy
  • NSFW
3 9.9

An illegal white drug that people inhale through the nose

nose cone
  • Specialized
3 6.5

The pointed front part of a rocket, missile, or plane that protects important parts and reduces air resistance during flight

2 7.5

A nose with a high, slightly curved bridge that gives a strong profile

1 5.1

A short, flat nose with the tip turned up

1 4.1

Having a rounded end often found on tools like scissors

camel's nose
  • Informal
1 9.9

A small first step that leads to bigger unwanted demands

1 9.5

A small flute played by blowing air through the nose

toffee-nose
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who thinks they are better than others

1 6.7

A nose curved downward like a hawk's beak

A doctor who treats problems of the ear, nose, and throat

bull nose
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A pig disease causing swelling and redness of the nose

potato nose
  • Informal
1 9.9

A large red round nose with small red lines from blood vessels

1 4.1

A quick check of how many people are present to see attendance or support

nose-pick
  • Offensive
1 8.6

Putting a finger inside your nose or a person who does this

round-nose
  • Specialized
1 4.9

Pliers with smooth rounded jaws used to bend wire and make loops

1 5.1

A very strong sense of smell that notices faint scents

1 9.9

A large red nose with visible small blood vessels often caused by heavy drinking

1 9.9

The fatty tail of a cooked bird like a chicken or turkey

nose drops
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A street name for the illegal drug heroin

A red, swollen nose with small broken veins, often from heavy drinking

hammer nose
  • Specialized
9.9

An enlarged red nose with visible blood vessels that often comes from heavy drinking

nose test
  • Informal
6.1

To use smell or instinct to check if something seems right

round-nose
  • Specialized
6.0

A bullet with a rounded tip that is less likely to go through things

rum nose
  • Archaic
9.9

A red, swollen nose with small red veins, often linked to heavy drinking

9.6

A fatty tail end of a cooked chicken or turkey that many people like to eat

toper's nose
  • Archaic
9.9

A nose that becomes large and red with visible veins from long heavy drinking

How Well

to track
∞ 2.3
to scent
3 3.5
to nose
2 5.0
to smell
941 1.0
sniff
32 1.1

Surface Forms

nose infinitive
nosed past
nosed past participle
nosing present participle
noses third person singular

Etymology

The verb nose meaning 'search by smell' comes straight from the job of the nose (old nosu) to sniff and find things. So when an animal or person 'noses out' the truth, they are using a kind of smelling or close search to find it.