Scent Meaning
/sɛnt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA distinctive smell.
nounA smell left by an animal that may be used for tracing.
Sentence Examples
There's a scent of danger.
The flowers give off a very pleasant scent.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The dog followed the ____ of the missing child through the dense forest.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The garden was filled with the sweet ____ of jasmine on warm summer evenings.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English sent (noun) and senten (verb), from Old French sentir (“to feel, perceive, smell, sense”), from Latin sentiō, sentīre (“to feel, sense”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to feel”), and thus related to Saterland Frisian Sin (“sense”), West Frisian sin (“sense”), Dutch zin (“sense, meaning”), Low German Sinn (“sense”), Luxembourgish Sënn (“sense, perception”), German Sinn (“sense”). The -c- appeared in the 17th century, possibly by influence of ascent, descent, etc., or by influence of science.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"hunger and thirst at once, / Powerful perswaders, quick’nd at the scent / Of that alluring fruit,"
— 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 586-588:
"The scent of these arm-pits is aroma finer than prayer,"
— 1892, Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself”, in Leaves of Grass […], Philadelphia, Pa.: David McKay, publisher, […], →OCLC, page 49:
"Behind me the forest stood wrapped in mist, its scents still sleeping."
— 1973, Mary Stewart, The Hollow Hills, New York: William Morrow, Book 3, p. 357:
"The air is thick with the unexpected scent of rain."
— 2014, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, chapter 32, in Dust, London: Granta Books, page 289:
"He […] twice to-day pick’d out the dullest scent; / Trust me, I take him for the better dog."
— c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The dog followed the ____ of the missing child through the dense forest.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The garden was filled with the sweet ____ of jasmine on warm summer evenings.