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Nose - 11 dictionary results
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 California's only complete nasal sinus treatment center.
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nose

  [nohz] noun, verb, nosed, nos⋅ing.
Use Nose in a Sentence
–noun
1. the part of the face or facial region in humans and certain animals that contains the nostrils and the organs of smell and functions as the usual passageway for air in respiration: in humans it is a prominence in the center of the face formed of bone and cartilage, serving also to modify or modulate the voice.
2. this part as the organ of smell.
3. the sense of smell: fragrances appealing to the nose.
4. anything regarded as resembling the nose of a person or animal, as a spout or nozzle.
5. the prow of a ship.
6. the forward end of an aircraft.
7. the forward edge of the head of a golf club.
8. a projecting part of anything: the nose of a pair of pliers.
9. a faculty of perceiving or detecting: to have a nose for news.
10. the human nose regarded as a symbol of meddling or prying: Why can't he keep his nose out of my business?
11. the length of a nose: The horse won the race by a nose.
12. the bouquet of an alcoholic drink, esp. the distinctive aroma of a wine.
–verb (used with object)
13. to perceive by or as by the nose or the sense of smell: a cheese that could be nosed at some distance.
14. to approach the nose to, as in smelling or examining; sniff.
15. to move or push forward with or as with the nose: The dog nosed its pup back into the yard. The boat nosed its way toward shore.
16. to touch or rub with the nose; nuzzle.
–verb (used without object)
17. to smell or sniff.
18. to seek as if by smelling or scent: The dogs nosed after their quarry.
19. to move or push forward: to nose into the wind.
20. to meddle or pry (often fol. by about, into, etc.): They are always nosing about in other people's business.
—Verb phrase
21. nose out,
a. to defeat, esp. by a narrow margin: The other candidates had been nosed out in the final returns.
b. to learn or discover, esp. by snooping or prying: to nose out a secret.
—Idioms
22. count noses, to count the number of people in attendance: Each time the troop left an exhibit the leader counted noses.
23. cut off one's nose to spite one's face, to create a disadvantage to oneself through one's own spiteful action.
24. follow one's nose,
a. to go forward in a straight course.
b. to guide oneself by instinct: I found the house by following my nose.
25. hold one's nose, to repress feelings of distaste, repulsion, or offense for something that one is obliged to do: He held his nose and voted for the bill.
26. keep one's nose clean, to behave oneself; avoid trouble or scandal: Did he keep his nose clean after he got out of prison?
27. keep one's nose to the grindstone. grindstone (def. 3).
28. lead or lead around by the nose, to exercise complete control over; dominate totally: He lets his brother lead him by the nose.
29. look down one's nose at, to regard with disdain or condescension: He had always looked down his nose at those who were poorer than he.
30. on the nose, Informal.
a. precisely, correctly, or perfectly.
b. exactly on time: We made it at ten o'clock on the nose.
c. (of a bet) for win only.
d. Australian Informal. decayed or putrid; stinking.
e. Australian Informal. distasteful or unpleasant; of doubtful validity or propriety.
31. pay through the nose, to pay an excessive price: They patronize small and exclusive shops where they cheerfully pay through the nose.
32. put someone's nose out of joint,
a. to annoy or irritate greatly.
b. to supersede a person in another's regard, devotion, etc.
c. to thwart someone; spoil someone's plans.
33. rub someone's nose in, to persecute or tease someone persistently about; nag someone about: I know I was wrong but you don't have to rub my nose in it.
34. turn up one's nose at, to regard with contempt; scorn: My friend turns up his nose at anyone who hasn't had a college education.
35. under someone's nose, plainly visible to; in full view of; in bold defiance of: The theft took place right under the detective's nose. Also, under someone's very nose.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME (n.); OE nosu; akin to D neus, G Nase, L nāsus, Skt nāsā

Related forms:
noseless, adjective
noselike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Nose
nose   (nōz)   
n.  
  1. The part of the human face or the forward part of the head of other vertebrates that contains the nostrils and organs of smell and forms the beginning of the respiratory tract.
  2. The sense of smell: a dog with a good nose.
  3. The ability to detect, sense, or discover as if by smell: has a nose for gossip.
  4. The characteristic smell of a wine or liqueur; bouquet.
  5. Informal The nose considered as a symbol of prying: Keep your nose out of my business.
  6. Something, such as the forward end of an aircraft, rocket, or submarine, that resembles a nose in shape or position.
  7. A very short distance or narrow margin: won the race by a nose.
v.   nosed, nos·ing, nos·es

v.   tr.
  1. To find out by or as if by smell: nosed out the thieves' hiding place.
  2. To touch with the nose; nuzzle.
  3. To move, push, or make with or as if with the nose.
  4. To advance the forward part of cautiously: nosed the car into the flow of traffic.
v.   intr.
  1. To smell or sniff.
  2. Informal To search or inquire meddlesomely; snoop or pry: nosing around looking for opportunities.
  3. To advance with caution: The ship nosed into its berth.
Phrasal Verb(s):
nose outTo defeat by a narrow margin.

Idiom(s):
down (one's) nose Informal With disapproval, contempt, or arrogance: Year-round residents here look down their noses at the summer people.

Idiom(s):
on the noseExactly; precisely: predicted the final score on the nose.

Idiom(s):
under (someone's) noseIn plain view: The keys are right under your nose.

[Middle English, from Old English nosu; see nas- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Nose

Nose\, n. [AS. nosu; akin to D. neus, G. nase, OHG. nasa, Icel. n["o]s, Sw. n["a]sa, Dan. n["a]se, Lith. nosis, Russ. nos', L. nasus, nares, Skr. n[=a]s[=a], n[=a]s. ? Cf. Nasal, Nasturtium, Naze, Nostril, Nozzle.]

1. (Anat.) The prominent part of the face or anterior extremity of the head containing the nostrils and olfactory cavities; the olfactory organ. See Nostril, and Olfactory organ under Olfactory.

2. The power of smelling; hence, scent.

We are not offended with a dog for a better nose than his master. --Collier.

3. A projecting end or beak at the front of an object; a snout; a nozzle; a spout; as, the nose of a bellows; the nose of a teakettle.

Nose bit (Carp.), a bit similar to a gouge bit, but having a cutting edge on one side of its boring end.

Nose hammer (Mach.), a frontal hammer.

Nose hole (Glass Making), a small opening in a furnace, before which a globe of crown glass is held and kept soft at the beginning of the flattening process.

Nose key (Carp.), a fox wedge.

Nose leaf (Zo["o]l.), a thin, broad, membranous fold of skin on the nose of many species of bats. It varies greatly in size and form.

Nose of wax, fig., a person who is pliant and easily influenced. "A nose of wax to be turned every way." --Massinger

Nose piece, the nozzle of a pipe, hose, bellows, etc.; the end piece of a microscope body, to which an objective is attached.

To hold, put, or bring one's nose to the grindstone. See under Grindstone.

To lead by the nose, to lead at pleasure, or to cause to follow submissively; to lead blindly, as a person leads a beast. --Shak.

To put one's nose out of joint, to humiliate one's pride, esp. by supplanting one in the affections of another. [Slang]

To thrust one's nose into, to meddle officiously in.

To wipe one's nose of, to deprive of; to rob. [Slang]

Nose

Nose\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Nosed; p. pr. & vb. n. Nosing.]

1. To smell; to scent; hence, to track, or trace out.

2. To touch with the nose; to push the nose into or against; hence, to interfere with; to treat insolently.

Lambs . . . nosing the mother's udder. --Tennyson.

A sort of national convention, dubious in its nature . . . nosed Parliament in the very seat of its authority. --Burke.

3. To utter in a nasal manner; to pronounce with a nasal twang; as, to nose a prayer. [R.] --Cowley.

Nose

Nose\ (n[=o]z), v. i. 1. To smell; to sniff; to scent. --Audubon.

2. To pry officiously into what does not concern one.

Nose

Nose\, v. t. 1. To confront; be closely face to face or opposite to; meet.

2. To furnish with a nose; as, to nose a stair tread.

3. To examine with the nose or sense of smell.

4. To make by advancing the nose or front end; as, the train nosed its way into the statio; (Racing Slang) to beat by (the length of) a nose.

Nose

Nose\, v. i. To push or move with the nose or front forward.

A train of cable cars came nosing along. --Hamlin Garland.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Nose
Spanish: nariz, hocico,
German: die Nase,
Japanese: 鼻
More Translations »

nose 
O.E. nosu, from P.Gmc. *nusus (cf. O.N. nös, O.Fris. nose, Du. neus, O.H.G. nasa, Ger. nase), from PIE *nas- (cf. Skt. nasa, O.Pers. naham, O.C.S. nasu, Lith. nosis, L. nasus "nose"). Used to indicate "something obvious" from 1591. The verb sense of "pry, search" first recorded 1648, from the noun. Pay through the nose (1672) seems to suggest "bleed."
"Kiv, It could bee no other then his owne manne, that had thrust his nose so farre out of ioynte." ["Barnabe Riche His Farewell to Military Profession," 1581]
Many extended senses are from the horse-racing sense of "length of a horse's nose," as a measure of distance between two finishers (1908). Nose-bleed first attested 1848. Nose cone in the space rocket sense is from 1949. Nose job "rhinoplasty" is from 1963; nose dive "sudden large decrease" is 1920, from airplane sense, first attested 1912. To turn up one's nose "show disdain" is from 1818 (earlier hold up one's nose, 1579); similar notion in look down one's nose (1921).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: nose
Pronunciation: 'nOz
Function: noun
1 a : the part of the face that bears the nostrils and covers the anterior part of the nasalcavity; broadly : this part together with the nasal cavity b : the anterior part of the head above or projecting beyond the muzzle
2 : the sense ofsmell : OLFACTION
3 : OLFACTORY ORGAN
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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nose (nōz)
n.
The part of the human face or the forward part of the head of other vertebrates that contains the nostrils and organs of smell and forms the beginning of the respiratory tract.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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nose

In addition to the idioms beginning with nose, also see brown nose; can't see beyond the end of one's nose; count noses; cut off one's nose; follow one's nose; keep one's nose clean; lead by the nose; look down on (one's nose); no skin off my nose; on the nose; pay through the nose; plain as day (the nose on your face); poke one's nose into; rub someone's nose in it; thumb one's nose; turn up one's nose; under one's nose; win by a nose.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nasal & Sinus Center
 California's only complete nasal sinus treatment center.
 www.sjo.org