SCENT

scent

(noun) an odor left in passing by which a person or animal can be traced

aroma, fragrance, perfume, scent

(noun) a distinctive odor that is pleasant

perfume, scent

(verb) apply perfume to; “She perfumes herself every day”

scent, nose, wind

(verb) catch the scent of; get wind of; “The dog nosed out the drugs”

odorize, odourise, scent

(verb) cause to smell or be smelly

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

scent (countable and uncountable, plural scents)

A distinctive odour or smell.

An odour left by an animal that may be used for tracing.

The sense of smell.

A perfume.

(figuratively) Any trail or trace that can be followed to find something or someone, such as the paper left behind in a paperchase.

(obsolete) Sense, perception.

Usage notes

• Almost always applied to agreeable odors (fragrances).

Synonyms

• aroma

• fragrance

• nosegay

• odor

• perfume

• smell

Verb

scent (third-person singular simple present scents, present participle scenting, simple past and past participle scented)

(transitive) To detect the scent of; to discern by the sense of smell.

(transitive, figurative) To have a suspicion of.

(transitive) To impart an odour to.

(intransitive, archaic) To have a smell.

To hunt animals by means of the sense of smell.

Anagrams

• cents

Source: Wiktionary


Scent, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scented; p. pr. & vb. n. Scenting.] Etym: [Originally sent, fr. F. sentir to feel, to smell. See Sense.]

1. To perceive by the olfactory organs; to smell; as, to scent game, as a hound does. Methinks I scent the morning air. Shak.

2. To imbue or fill with odor; to perfume. Balm from a silver box distilled around, Shall all bedew the roots, and scent the sacred ground. Dryden.

Scent, v. i.

1. To have a smell. [Obs.] Thunderbolts . . . do scent strongly of brimstone. Holland.

2. To hunt animals by means of the sense of smell.

Scent, n.

1. That which, issuing from a body, affects the olfactory organs of animals; odor; smell; as, the scent of an orange, or of a rose; the scent of musk. With lavish hand diffuses scents ambrosial. prior.

2. Specifically, the odor left by an animal on the ground in passing over it; as, dogs find or lose the scent; hence, course of pursuit; track of discovery. He gained the observations of innumerable ages, and traveled upon the same scent into Ethiopia. Sir W. Temple.

3. The power of smelling; the sense of smell; as, a hound of nice scent; to divert the scent. I. Watts.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

8 May 2025

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Coffee Trivia

In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.

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