Skip to main content
nose

nose

18 7.1
A natural skill for finding or noticing things in one area
  • noun
  • /noʊz/
: olfato
  • I had discovered in myself a nose for card trickery in the past few months.

And with me at the desk is the newshound with the best news nose in town, Ross Matthews.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • You had to have the nose to catch even the slightest whiff from a word.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • But, to be honest, I'm curious and happy to follow my nose for a while.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I went from this place where there was a team of people that absolutely had a nose for smoke.

  • I got a nose for these things.

  • I always knew that gal had a nose for money, Laurence thought.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Over the years, I've sort of learned to follow my nose on these hunches that I have, and usually something turns up pretty interesting.

  • And with me at the desk is the newshound with the best news nose in town, Ross Matthews.

  • As an investigative reporter, she has a real nose for uncovering hidden truths.

  • He is known for his nose for good investments in the stock market.

  • With her keen nose for details, she quickly identified the flaws in the proposal.

Synonyms

feeling
vsnose
∞ 1.0

A natural ability to understand or do something

is the instinctive ability to detect or recognize in a domain
eye
vsnose
136 4.6

The skill of noticing small details and what looks good

is more about instinctive detection in a subject than aesthetic judgment
feel
vsnose
40 5.7

A natural ability to do or understand something

is the instinctive ability focused on a specific subject area
perception
vsnose
18 4.0

The ability to notice and understand things quickly

is specifically an instinctive recognition skill within a particular area
antenna
vsnose
3 6.8

An ability to notice small signs and sense what is happening

is an instinctive ability to detect patterns in a particular area
sensibility
vsnose
2 6.6

Ability to feel physical things like touch or pain

is an instinctive recognition ability focused on subject areas not just sensation
1 6.6

Being quick to notice small details and other people's feelings

is more about instinctive detection than deliberate analytical noticing
keen nose
vsnose
1 5.1

A very strong sense of smell that notices faint scents

is broader instinctive detection across subjects, not only smell or detail
perceptivity
vsnose
1 8.0

A quick ability to notice and understand things

emphasizes instinct across a subject rather than general quick noticing

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 Skilled

talent
362 2.8
gift
263 1.8
knack
69 3.9
nose
18 7.1
instinct
552 2.8

Surface Forms

nose singular
noses plural

Etymology

A helpful way to remember nose in phrases like 'a nose for news' is to think of the nose as a tool that 'sniffs out' things; the old word nosu pointed to that same idea. So having a nose for something means you can find or sense good opportunities or facts.