to nose
- verb
- /noʊz/
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 gently press the nose or face against someone to show affection
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 Affectionate
Surface Forms
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.