smell

CEFRA1

/smɛl/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

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In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    The quality noticed by the nose; to notice an odor.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

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

Examples

  • He'll be sure to smell a rat if I'm with you.

  • I always associate the smell of baking with my childhood.

At a glance

Sits at A1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The sense that detects odours.

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

verb

Extra meaning

  1. To sense a smell or smells.

More examples

In context

  • The smell of cut grass summons up images of hot summer afternoons.

  • I love the smell of fresh bread.

  • Smell the milk and tell me whether it's gone off.

Synonyms

Quick test

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Nearby

Origin

noun

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 Low German smölen (“to be hazy, be dusty”) (whence Low German smölen (“smoulder”)), Low German smullen (“emit smoke”), West Flemish smoel (“stuffy, muggy, hazy”), Danish smul (“dust, powder”), Lithuanian smilkyti (“to incense, fumig...