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Glite Dictionary
nose test

nose test

6.1
To use smell or instinct to check if something seems right
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : prueba de olor
  • I always give leftovers the nose test before deciding whether they’re safe to eat.

Examples

  • If an idea doesn’t pass the nose test, it’s probably not worth pursuing.

  • The wine passed the nose test, smelling fresh and fruity.

  • I always do a quick nose test before buying fish.

  • Have you ever tried a nose test for cheese?

  • I always give leftovers the nose test before deciding whether they’re safe to eat.

  • I always do a quick nose test before buying fish to ensure it's fresh.

  • Have you ever tried a nose test for cheese to check its quality?

Synonyms

smell test
vsnose test
4 3.8

A quick check to see if something seems right, sometimes by its scent

relies more on intuition or a quick sniff to judge freshness and authenticity

How Reliable

chemical analysis
  • Specialized
6 3.5
laboratory
  • Specialized
33 3.9
organoleptic
  • Specialized
9.6
nose test
  • Informal
6.1

Surface Forms

nose test singular
nose tests plural

Morphology

nose + test

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'nose' (either the smelling organ or the figurative sense of intuitive knack) with 'test' (an assessment): a check performed by smell or by intuition. This composition follows ordinary English compounding and is predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would reasonably infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Nose test comes from the simple habit of using your nose to check something by smell. People would sniff food or drink to see if it was 'fresh' or 'safe', and that quick sniff became a 'test', so today nose test means a fast check by smell or by a quick 'gut feeling' about whether something seems right.