smell

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

   We loved the smell of roses.

2. 2
   verb

   emit an odor

   The soup smells good

3. 3
   verb

   to have an unpleasant odor

   They rarely wash, and they smell.

4. 4
   noun

   A sensation, pleasant or unpleasant, detected by inhaling air (or, the case of water-breathing animals, water) carrying airborne molecules of a substance.

   I love the smell of fresh bread.

5. 5
   noun

   A conclusion or intuition that a situation is wrong, more complex than it seems, or otherwise inappropriate.

   I’m just saying, this has a bad smell to it.

6. 6
   verb

   To sense a smell or smells.

   I can smell fresh bread.

7. 7
   verb

   Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.

   The roses smell lovely.

8. 8
   verb

   To give heed to.

   So from that tyme forwarde I began to ſmell the word of god, and forſoke the ſchole doctors and ſuch foolries.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *smel- Proto-West Germanic *smalljan Old English *smiellan Middle English smellen English smell From Middle English smellen, smillen, smyllen, smullen, from Old English *smyllan, *smiellan (“to smell, emit fumes”), from Proto-West Germanic *smallijan (“to glow, burn, smoulder”), from Proto-Indo-European *smel- (“to burn, smoke, smoulder; tar, pitch”). The noun is from Middle English smel, smil, smul (“smell, odour”). Related to Saterland Frisian smeele (“to smoulder”), Middle Dutch smōlen (“to burn, smoulder”) (whence Dutch smeulen (“to smoulder”)), Middle Lo…