smell

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To notice or sense an odour through your nose.

   I can smell fresh bread baking in the kitchen.

2. 2
   verb

   To have a particular odour, good or bad.

   These roses smell lovely.

3. 3
   verb

   To have an unpleasant odour.

   This rubbish bin really smells.

4. 4
   noun

   The quality of something that you sense through your nose.

   I love the smell of fresh coffee in the morning.

5. 5
   noun

   The sense or ability that lets you detect odours through your nose.

   Dogs have a much better sense of smell than humans.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Smell entered English in the Middle Ages, but its origin is unknown and no related word has been identified in other languages. Earlier Old English words for the idea included stincan and stenc, which gave rise to stink and stench.

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…

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary