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nose

nose

64 6.5
Curiosity that makes someone get involved in other people's affairs
  • noun
  • /noʊz/
  • Informal
: nariz
  • Riverbank folk are eager to help anyone who wants to poke their nose into other people's business.

And this is the fact that you're sticking your nose in it makes me feel like you're very confident.

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Examples

  • Such criticism led the government to accuse businesses of poking their noses in politics.

    Academic text (2003)
  • I kept my nose out of it... ...but you and Lorna.

  • I mean, he put his nose in the one, Yeah.

  • All right, come on, keep your nose in it.

  • You see what happens when you stick your nose in?

  • I know lots of people look down their nose at soaps, right?

  • I can't take the way they just look down their nose at everyone.

  • If you know what's good for you, keep your damned nose out of other people's business.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Instead of protecting businessmen, it pokes its nose into business.

  • Why do you always feel the need to poke your nose into my affairs?

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 Inquisitive

nosiness
1 5.1
nose
  • Informal
64 6.5
curiosity
264 2.2

Surface Forms

nose singular
noses plural

Etymology

Think of nose as the body part that 'pokes' into things — the old word nosu named that part, and from that image we get expressions about curiosity. That's why saying someone has their nose in other people's business means they are prying or interfering.