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to nose

to nose

1 7.9
To touch the front of the face of another person as a sign of affection
  • verb
  • /noʊz/
translation icon : rozar con la nariz

Examples

  • McQueen and Swift nose to nose.

  • She stood frozen at its presence until the owner was nose to nose with her.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Spent my formative years nose to nose with the family beagle.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Absolutely love the photo of Pheebs and Guinness nose to nose looking at each other.

    Blog text (30)
  • "Phillip leaned down until he and Seth were nose to nose.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Amesley squatted so he was nose to nose with Garth.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Shaken and buffeted, Lucian was roughly spun around to find himself nose to nose with Cerdo.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The two children leaned in and gently nose each other as a sign of affection.

  • After their argument, they made up by playfully nose to nose, laughing together.

  • Every morning, the puppy and the kitten would greet each other by nose touching.

Synonyms

to nuzzle
vsto nose
11 3.4

To gently press the nose or face against someone to show affection

involves touching or rubbing the front of each face together as an affectionate gesture

Antonyms

1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

466 2.8

To stop taking part in a place or activity

Idioms

on the nose
  • Informal
15 5.9

Exactly correct in every detail

11 6.8

To avoid trouble and not attract bad attention

8 9.2

To show open disrespect by refusing to follow rules or customs

7 8.2

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

by a nose
  • Informal
5 4.9

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

4 8.0

Give much more money than normal for something

3 6.3

To work hard for a long time without stopping

3 7.7

Make someone do what you want without them noticing

To show you think something is not good enough

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

1 9.2

Feeling annoyed because someone ignored you or treated you badly

1 6.4

Happens very near someone when they do not notice

It does not bother me if something happens

7.5

To do something unpleasant because it is necessary

A phrase people say to make fun of someone who brags

To think about things beyond your own immediate needs

the nose knows
  • Informal
9.8

To trust a feeling that something is wrong

Phrasal Verbs

to brown-nose
  • Offensive
4 8.2

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

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

1 7.3

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

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

1 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

5.3

To put a finger in your nose to remove mucus

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

Compounds

nose job
  • Informal
31 4.6

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

14 4.1

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

11 3.8

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

nose cone
  • Specialized
2 6.5

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

nose candy
  • NSFW
2 9.9

An illegal white drug that people inhale through the nose

1 7.5

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

1 5.3

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

camel's nose
  • Informal
1 9.9

A small first step that leads to bigger unwanted demands

1 5.1

A short, flat nose with the tip turned up

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

1 6.7

A nose curved downward like a hawk's beak

1 9.5

A small flute played by blowing air through the nose

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

round-nose
  • Specialized
1 6.0

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

1 9.6

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

toffee-nose
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who thinks they are better than others

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

bull nose
  • Specialized
9.9

A pig disease causing swelling and redness of the nose

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

5.1

A very strong sense of smell that notices faint scents

4.1

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

nose drops
  • NSFW
9.9

A street name for the illegal drug heroin

nose test
  • Informal
6.1

To use smell or instinct to check if something seems right

Having a rounded end often found on tools like scissors

rum nose
  • Archaic
9.9

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

9.9

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

potato nose
  • Informal
9.9

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

toper's nose
  • Archaic
9.9

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

How Affectionate

to kiss
1.0
to cuddle
72 1.0
to nose
1 7.9
to touch
1.0

Surface Forms

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

Etymology

The verb nose for touching or rubbing noses comes from the simple idea of the body part nose (old nosu) being used as a gentle greeting or sign of affection. So to nose someone is to touch noses as a friendly or loving gesture.