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nose

nose

13 1.0
The ability to smell, especially in animals
  • noun
  • /noʊz/
: olfato
  • Just then, Casimir's nose picked up the sweet smell of prey a mile or so distant.

They use their nose primarily to travel through the forest.

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Examples

  • Your feet are meant to run and your nose is meant to smell.

  • A dog's nose is unbelievably sensitive, capable of taking in a wide variety of smells.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Try to breathe through your nose.

  • A blind pig must use its nose.

  • In a new place, I could never fall asleep until my nose had identified all the new smells.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I have a nose for smelling parties in progress.

  • They use their nose primarily to travel through the forest.

  • If the matriarch's nose is right, her herd should expect a response.

  • Instead, she wrinkles her nose at the stench in the air.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The dog used its nose to find the missing toys in the backyard.

Synonyms

smell
vsnose
37 1.0

The ability to notice and recognize scents with the nose

is focused on the animal sense rather than brain processes
29 2.8

The ability to notice and tell scents apart with the nose

is the same faculty described especially in animals
olfaction
vsnose
1 8.4

The sense that lets you smell and tell smells apart

is the everyday term used especially for animals
keen nose
vsnose
1 5.1

A very strong sense of smell that notices faint scents

is the general sense, not an especially strong ability
olfactory perception
vsnose
  • Specialized
1 6.6

The ability to notice and recognize smells with your nose

is the faculty itself rather than the detection process
olfactory sensation
vsnose
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A feeling you have when you smell something

is the ongoing sense rather than a momentary sensation
olfactory modality
vsnose
  • Specialized
8.3

The sense that lets people smell and tell different scents apart

is the same sense but highlighted for animal use

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

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 Strong

keen nose
1 5.1
nose
13 1.0
anosmic
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Surface Forms

nose singular
noses plural

Etymology

Nose comes from the old word nosu for the face part that smells, so it naturally grew to mean the sense of smell too. That's why people say an animal has a good nose when it can smell well.