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Glite Dictionary
olfactory sensation

olfactory sensation

6.9
A feeling you have when you smell something
  • noun
  • /ɔlˈfæktəri səˈneɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sensación olfativa
  • Walking through the garden, the olfactory sensation of blooming flowers enveloped her senses.

Examples

  • He experienced a strong olfactory sensation as he opened the bottle of aged wine.

  • Items with considerable fat, if not contained while cooking, can create quite a negative olfactory sensation.

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  • The bakery filled the air with a warm olfactory sensation of fresh bread and pastries.

Synonyms

smell
vsolfactory sensation
605 1.0

A scent you notice with your nose

is the internal bodily feeling when receptors respond to airborne chemicals
odor
vsolfactory sensation
  • US
145 1.9

A strong or noticeable smell, often unpleasant like smoke

is the internal bodily feeling rather than the external identifiable scent
olfactory perception
vsolfactory sensation
  • Specialized
6.6

The ability to notice and recognize smells with your nose

is the raw bodily feeling from receptor activation not the recognition process

How Strong

stench
80 3.5
olfactory sensation
  • Specialized
6.9
odorless
  • US
11 3.0

Surface Forms

olfactory sensation singular
olfactory sensations plural

Morphology

olfactory + sensation

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'olfactory' (related to smell) + 'sensation' (a feeling), yielding 'a feeling of smell'. This adjective+noun combination follows regular English composition patterns and has clear cross-linguistic cognates, so a learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Olfactory sensation comes from Latin words: olfactory meaning 'to smell' and sensation meaning 'feeling'. So it creates the simple image of your nose sensing something in the air and means the 'smell' you notice.