smell

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v., smelled or smelt (smĕlt), smell·ing, smells.

v.tr.

1. To perceive the scent of (something) by means of the olfactory nerves.
2. To sense the presence of by or as if by the olfactory nerves; detect or discover: We smelled trouble ahead. The committee tried to smell out corruption in law enforcement.

v.intr.

1. To use the sense of smell; perceive the scent of something.
2. To have or emit an odor: “The breeze smelled exactly like Vouvray—flowery, with a hint of mothballs underneath” (Anne Tyler).
3. To be suggestive; have a touch of something: a cave that smells of terror.
4. To have or emit an unpleasant odor; stink: This closet smells.
5. To appear to be dishonest; suggest evil or corruption.

n.

1. The sense by which odors are perceived; the olfactory sense.
2. That quality of something that may be perceived by the olfactory sense.
3. The act or an instance of smelling.
4. A distinctive enveloping or characterizing quality; an aura or trace: the smell of success.

idiom:

smell a rat Slang.

1. To suspect that something is wrong.

[Middle English smellen.]

SYNONYMS  smell, aroma, odor, scent. These nouns denote a quality that can be perceived by the olfactory sense: the smell of gas; the aroma of frying onions; hospital odors; the scent of pine needles.

verb

1. To perceive with the olfactory sense: nose, scent, sniff, snuff, whiff. Idioms: catchgeta whiff of. See smells/good smells/bad smells/smell.
2. To have or give off a foul odor: reek, stink. Idioms: smell to high heaven. See smells/good smells/bad smells/smell.
3. To have a particular flavor or suggestion of something: savor, smack², suggest, taste. See suggest.

noun

1. The sense by which odors are perceived: nose, olfaction, scent. See smells/good smells/bad smells/smell.
2. The quality of something that may be perceived by the olfactory sense: aroma, odor, scent. See smells/good smells/bad smells/smell.
3. A general impression produced by a predominant quality or characteristic: air, ambiance, atmosphere, aura, feel, feeling, mood, tone. See be.

Idioms beginning with smell:
smell a rat
smell fishy
smell up

See also come up (smelling like) roses; stink (smell) to high heaven.

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n

The special sense that enables odors to be perceived through the stimulation of the olfactory nerves.

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Smells appearing in the séance room have often been ascribed to a paranormal origin. Materializations in sittings with the medium Franek Kluski were associated with strong animal odors. Psychic perfumes were reported at séances of Carlos Mirabelli and Daniel Dunglas Home.

Although all living things, both plant and animal, respond selectively to at least some of the chemicals in their environments, what we ordinarily mean by smell is more limited than this. There are really two ways of deciding whether or not we are dealing with smelling rather than some other chemical sense. In the vertebrates — fish, amphibians, reptiles, or mammal — we define smell as involving the stimulation of the first cranial nerve, the olfactory nerve. In the invertebrates, however, we refer to smell when the stimulating substance is airborne. Thus, for example, a moth finds his mate by means of smell. This inclusion of the invertebrates is important because much of the best controlled (and economically important) study has been and is being done on insects. In man, of course, both these qualifications apply and we speak of smell as involving the first cranial nerve and as having airborne molecules as its stimuli.

In man and other mammals the receptors for smell lie in the mucous membrane at the top or back of the air passages in the nose. These sensitive cells are in a constant state of decline and replacement. They are equipped with hairlike projections, the cilia, which protrude into the mucus and are the probable sites of odorant–receptor interaction. In man, the region of each nostril that they occupy is about the area of a postage stamp — small compared with, say, that in the dog. The cells send their axons directly into the olfactory bulb, which is also relatively small. (Smell is unique among the senses in not having connections through the thalamus to the 'new cortex' or neocortex that has developed in relation to the other sense departments. In fact, the older portion of the forebrain of mammals is called the 'rhinencephalon', or 'smell brain', because of this.) There are many fewer transmission cells in the bulb than there are receptors, and this fact, in addition to the preservation of spatial distribution from receptor surface to bulb, is thought to be important in the perception of odour quality. The system is sensitive and compares well, even in man, with most laboratory methods of analysis: for example, one form of musk can be detected by a 'normal' person at a dilution of less than one ten-millionth of a milligram per litre of air.

Attempts to understand the manner in which odorous molecules affect the receptor cells have led to considerable theorizing without conspicuous success. The problem to be solved is similar to that for any of the senses: how a stimulating agent so alters a cell as to set in play the series of events that result in one or more nerve impulses being transmitted to the central nervous system. In man it is obvious that the molecules either make their way through the mucus and affect the receptor directly in some way, or act at a distance. Both means have been proposed. In explanation of action at a distance, it has been suggested that the characteristic infrared absorption spectrum of a molecule leads it to absorb radiation from certain of the matching receptors. Unfortunately, this is thermodynamically impossible. Other absorption theories, such as the Raman spectrum and ultraviolet, seem aimed more at classifying the molecules than at implying action at a distance.

Theories supposing action directly on the receptor are better supported by modern research. Many have been developed with pharmacological or immunological models in mind. The current conception of the receptor cell membrane as a lipid (fatty) double layer in which protein molecules are embedded in mosaic fashion is compatible both with the suggestion that the molecules actually dissolve in (or 'puncture') the lipid, rather like the anesthetic action of ether, and with the notion that adsorption takes place on the proteins. Evidence of molecules that differ only in being 'right-' or 'left-handed' implies that the proteins are involved, and the theory provides a simple basis for understanding the selectivity of different cells. Precisely what energy transfer is involved is uncertain, but with modern membrane research methodology, including the use of radioactive tracers, resolution of this problem should be forthcoming.

The pervasive role of smell in everyday life is often overlooked. Many unpleasant smells, such as of garbage and offal in the city of not so long ago, have been got rid of. Highly sophisticated methods of washing, filtering, and incinerating odorous discharges have been developed, and there is a host of personal deodorants and air 'purifiers'. On the other side of the coin, the flavours of foods are pretty largely determined by odour — a fact recognized by the international flavour industry. Closely related is perfumery, with its long history.

In the fashions that have surrounded perfumery, sexual attractiveness may be involved. Certainly in many species, particularly the insects, naturally secreted odours, pheromones, play a sexual role. In mammals, pheromones also play an important role in the establishment of territories: the 'marking' activities of dogs are well known, and in other species special glands — for example, the cheek glands of the rabbit — produce marking chemicals. In the mouse the sexual and marking functions come together — the female will ovulate after smelling a male, and will, if pregnant, abort upon smelling a strange male. While some primates — the baboon, for instance — seem to have female pheromones secreted during receptivity, it is not at present clear what role, if any, such secretions might play in man.

One function of smelling is well known: the detection of leaking gas. To non-odorous gases, a warning agent such as ethyl mercaptan is added. In mines, the ventilating system is used to carry the warning. An apparent over-representation of older people among the victims of a gas leakage in London led to useful research on the effect of age on sensitivity to smell. (See ageing: sensory and perceptual changes.)

For smell, unlike colour, there is no satisfactory classification scheme. One difficulty is the absence of truly abstract terms such as red or blue; rather, the terms refer to objects (for example, lavender or fruity) or condition (burnt or rotten). Possibly no simple scheme will be found, for the basic scale along which we place odours is from pleasant to unpleasant — a scale that may reflect the approach-avoidance nature of behaviour in evolutionary history. It may be the only way for the organism to classify odours.

Three other topics need mention. First, there are considerable differences between the smell sensitivity of individual persons. Some even, because of disease or trauma, cannot smell anything at all — they are anosmic — while others lack sensitivity for specific odours — they are partially anosmic. Second, adaptation (that is, temporary loss of sensitivity with exposure) proceeds fairly rapidly for smells. This is largely a matter of reduced transmission in the brain, rather than fatigue of the receptors. It makes some jobs tolerable, but sensitivity to warning agents is reduced. Finally, it may be that sensitivity declines with age. If this is in fact so, and it is not certain, then among the important consequences would be diminished stimulation from flavours (see taste). Possibly some of the nutritional problems of ageing are ascribable to declining sensitivity.

(Published 1987)

— F. Nowell Jones

Bibliography
• Amerine, M. A., Pangborn, R. M., and Roessler, E. B. (1965). Principles of Sensory Evaluation of Food.
• Brand, G., Millot, J., and Henquell, D. (2001). 'Complexity of olfactory lateralization processes revealed by functional imaging: a review'. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 25/2.
• Engen, T. (1982). The Perception of Odors.
• Proceedings of the Eighth International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), 23–26 August 1983 (1984). Chemical Senses, 8/3.
• Voshall, L. B. (2003). 'Putting smell on the map'. Trends in Neurosciences, 26/4.

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1. an odor.
2. the sense that enables an animal to perceive odors. The sense of smell depends on the stimulation of sense organs in the nose by small particles carried in inhaled air. It is important not only for the detection of odors, but also for the enjoyment of food. Flavor is a blend of taste and smell. Taste registers only four qualities: salt, sour, bitter and sweet; other qualities of flavor depend on smell. The organs of smell are small patches of special (olfactory) cells in the nasal mucosa. One patch is located in each of the two main compartments of the back of the nose. The olfactory cells are connected to the brain by the first cranial (olfactory) nerve.

• abnormal s. — see odor, taint.
• organ of s. — includes the olfactory sense organs, olfactory nerves, and the nerve cells of the olfactory bulb of the brain.

IN BRIEF: To sense an odor by using your nose.

I like the smell of dinner being cooked.

Quotes:

"A man has his distinctive personal scent which his wife, his children and his dog can recognize. A crowd has a generalized stink. The public is odorless." - W. H. Auden

"The lovesick, the betrayed, and the jealous all smell alike." - Sidonie Gabrielle Colette

"The rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril." - William Shakespeare

Experiences from the past play a part in distinguishing what a smell in a dream means to the dreamer. Sometimes we remember people by the odors we identify them with, like grandpa's pipe tobacco. In this example, the significance of the dream would depend on what grandpa meant to the dreamer.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - lugt, lugtesans
v. tr. - lugte, lugte til, vejre, ane, mærke, snuse
v. intr. - lugte, lugte af, dufte, stinke

idioms:

• smell a rat    lugte lunten, have på fornemmelsen at der stikker noget under
• smell danger    ane fare
• smelling salts    lugtesalt

Nederlands (Dutch)
ruiken, geuren, stinken, besnuffelen, geur, reuk, boeket, lucht

Français (French)
n. - (gén) odeur, odorat, (fig) relents
v. tr. - (lit, fig) sentir
v. intr. - (gén) sentir, sentir (mauvais), (fig) sentir, avoir le sens de l'odorat

idioms:

• smell a rat    flairer qch de louche
• smell danger    flairer le danger
• smelling salts    (Méd) sels

Deutsch (German)
n. - Geruch, Duft, Gestank
v. - riechen

idioms:

• smell a rat    Lunte riechen, (ugs.) den Braten riechen
• smell danger    Unrat wittern
• smelling salts    Riechsalz

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - οσμή, μυρωδιά, δυσοσμία, (φυσιολ.) όσφρηση
v. - μυρίζω, οσμίζομαι, οσφραίνομαι, αναδίδω οσμή, βρομάω, ζέχνω

idioms:

• smell a rat    μυρίζομαι βρομοδουλειά
• smell danger    διαισθάνομαι κίνδυνο
• smelling salts    οσφρητικά άλατα (αμμωνία με άρωμα λεβάντας)

Italiano (Italian)
puzzare, profumare, fiutare, odore, olfatto

idioms:

• smell a rat    fiutare un imbroglio
• smelling salts    sali aromatici

Português (Portuguese)
n. - aroma (m), perfume (m), cheiro (m), odor (m), mau cheiro (m)
v. - cheirar, farejar, descobrir

idioms:

• smell a rat    suspeitar de algo, desconfiar de alguma coisa
• smelling salts    sais aromáticos

Русский (Russian)
обоняние, запах, зловоние, признак, атмосфера, дух, чуточка, нюханье, обонять, чуять, нюхать, пахнуть, вонять

idioms:

• smell a rat    подозревать обман
• smelling salts    нюхательная соль

Español (Spanish)
n. - olor, aroma, fragancia, perfume, olfato
v. tr. - apestar, heder, oler, olfatear
v. intr. - oler

idioms:

• smell a rat    aquí hay gato encerrado, sospechar algo
• smell danger    presentir un peligro
• smelling salts    sales aromáticas

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - lukt, luktsinne
v. - lukta, känna lukten av, sprida lukt, stinka, dofta, misstänka, ana

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
味道, 嗅觉, 气味, 嗅, 闻, 发出...的气味, 闻出, 察觉出, 嗅到, 发臭, 散发气味

idioms:

• smell a rat    感到不妙
• smell danger    感觉到危险
• smelling salts    嗅盐

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 味道, 嗅覺, 氣味
v. tr. - 嗅, 聞, 發出...的氣味, 聞出, 察覺出, 嗅到
v. intr. - 嗅, 發臭, 散發氣味

idioms:

• smell a rat    感到不妙
• smell danger    感覺到危險
• smelling salts    嗅鹽

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 냄새, 낌새
v. tr. - 냄새로 알다, 냄새를 맡아보다, 낌새 채다
v. intr. - 냄새를 맡을 수 있다, ~의 기미가 있다, 악취를 풍기다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 臭い, 香り, 嗅覚, かぐこと
v. - においがする, 臭いをかぐ, 嗅覚がある, 悪臭を出す, 臭い, 感づく, 気味がある

idioms:

• smell a rat    うさんくさく思う
• smell danger    危険を感づく

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) حاسه ألشم, رائحه (فعل) يشم, يكتشف‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ריח, חוש-הריח, רחרוח, צחנה‬
v. tr. - ‮הדיף ריח, הצחין‬
v. intr. - ‮הריח, רחרח, חש ב-‬

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lladro a sweet smell