Nearby Words
verb (used with object)
1.
to perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves; inhale the odor of: I smell something burning.
2.
to test by the sense of smell: She smelled the meat to see if it was fresh.
3.
to perceive, detect, or discover by shrewdness or sagacity: The detective smelled foul play.
verb (used without object)
4.
to perceive something by its odor or scent.
5.
to search or investigate (followed by around or about).
6.
to give off or have an odor or scent: Do the yellow roses smell?
7.
to give out an offensive odor; stink.
8.
EXPANDto have a particular odor (followed by of): My hands smell of fish.
9.
to have a trace or suggestion (followed by of).
10.
Informal. to be of inferior quality; stink: The play is good, but the direction smells.
11.
COLLAPSEInformal. to have the appearance or a suggestion of guilt or corruption: They may be honest, but the whole situation smells.
:10
:09
:08
:07
:06
:05
:04
:03
:02
:01
Smells
is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
noun
Verb phrases12.
the sense of smell; faculty of smelling.
13.
the quality of a thing that is or may be smelled; odor; scent.
14.
a trace or suggestion.
15.
an act or instance of smelling.
16.
a pervading appearance, character, quality, or influence: the smell of money.
17.
smell out, to look for or detect as if by smelling; search out: to smell out enemy spies.
18.
Idiomsmell up, to fill with an offensive odor; stink up: The garbage smelled up the yard.
19.
smell a rat. rat (def. 6).
Origin:
1125–75; early Middle English smell, smull (noun), smellen, smullen (v.) < ?
1125–75; early Middle English smell, smull (noun), smellen, smullen (v.) < ?
Related forms
smell·a·ble, adjective
smell-less, adjective
out·smell, verb (used with object), -smelled or -smelt, -smel·ling.
un·smelled, adjective
un·smell·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To smells
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
smell
c.1175, "emit or perceive an odor," also n., "odor, aroma, stench," not found in O.E., perhaps cognate with M.Du. smolen, Low Ger. smelen "to smolder" (see smolder). OED says "no doubt of O.E. origin, but not recorded, and not represented in any of the cognate languages."
EXPANDOusted O.E. stenc (see stench) in most senses. Someone should revive smell-feast (n.) "one who scents out where free food is to be had" (1519, "very common" c.1540-1700, OED) and smell-smock "licentious man" (c.1550-1900). To smell a rat "be suspicious" is from 1550.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
smell (směl)
v. smelled or smelt (smělt), smell·ing, smells
To perceive the scent of something by means of the olfactory nerves. n.
The sense by which odors are perceived; the olfactory sense.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.