smell
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smell
- /smɛl/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɛl
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *smel-der.
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 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, fumigate”), Lithuanian smilkti (“to smudge, smolder, fume, reek”), Lithuanian smalkinti (“to fume”), Middle Irish smál, smól, smúal (“fire, gleed, embers, ashes”), Russian смола́ (smolá, “resin, tar”). Compare smoulder, smother.
noun smells
- 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.
- The sense that detects odours. In this interest we used the survey to obtain unique data about the memory-evoking power of smell. We found that the stronger the odor, the more likely it was to bring to mind a vivid memory.
- 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.
Similar: fragrance, odor, odour, scent, pong, reek, stench, stink, flair, smell
verb smells · smelling · smelled · smelt
- To sense a smell or smells. I can smell fresh bread.
- To detect or perceive; often with out. I smell a device.
- Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad. The roses smell lovely.
- To smell of; to have a smell of I do smell all horse-piss
- To smell bad; to stink. Ew, this restroom smells (loathsomely).
- To have a particular tincture or smack of any quality; to savour. A report smells of calumny.
- 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.
