smell
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: smĕl
ipa: /smɛl/
rhymes: -ɛl
Forms: form: smells
form: smelling
form: smelled
form: smelled
form: smelt
form: smelt
Etymology: 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 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.
Senses: examples: text: I can smell fresh bread.
text: Smell the milk and tell me whether it's gone off.
synonyms: detect
sense
glosses: To sense a smell or smells.
examples: text: I smell a device.
ref: c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:
synonyms: detect
sense
glosses: To sense a smell or smells.
To detect or perceive; often with out.
examples: text: The roses smell lovely.
text: Her feet smell of cheese.
text: The drunkard smelt like a brewery.
text: Philander went into the next room[…]and came back with a salt mackerel[…]. Next he put the mackerel in a fry-pan, and the shanty began to smell like a Banks boat just in from a v'yage.
ref: 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VIII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
text: Este's been losing sleep / Her husband's acting different and it smells like infidelity
ref: 2021, Taylor Swift, “No Body, No Crime”:
synonyms: word: pong
word: reek
word: stink
word: whiff
english: informal; these words refer to unpleasant smells
translation: informal; these words refer to unpleasant smells
glosses: Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
examples: text: I do smell all horse-piss
ref: 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
synonyms: word: pong
word: reek
word: stink
word: whiff
english: informal; these words refer to unpleasant smells
translation: informal; these words refer to unpleasant smells
glosses: Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
To smell of; to have a smell of
examples: text: Ew, this restroom smells (loathsomely).
synonyms: word: pong
word: reek
word: stink
word: whiff
english: informal; these words refer to unpleasant smells
translation: informal; these words refer to unpleasant smells
glosses: Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
To smell bad; to stink.
raw_tags: without a modifier
examples: text: A report smells of calumny.
text: Praises in an enemy are superfluous, or smell of craft.
ref: 1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC:
synonyms: word: pong
word: reek
word: stink
word: whiff
english: informal; these words refer to unpleasant smells
translation: informal; these words refer to unpleasant smells
glosses: Followed by like or of if descriptive: to have a particular smell, whether good or bad.
To have a particular tincture or smack of any quality; to savour.
examples: text: So from that tyme forwarde I began to ſmell the word of god, and forſoke the ſchole doctors and ſuch foolries.
ref: 1552, Hughe Latymer [i.e., Hugh Latimer], Augustine Bernher, compiler, “[The First Sermon]”, in Certayn Godly Sermons, Made uppon the Lords Prayer, […], London: […] John Day, […], published 1562, →OCLC, folio 5, verso:
glosses: To give heed to.
Derived terms: word: besmell
word: come out smelling like a rose
word: come out smelling of roses
word: come up smelling like a rose
word: come up smelling of roses
word: foul-smelling
alt: see olfaction
word: sense of smell
word: smell a fox
word: smell a rat
word: smell blood
word: smell blood in the water
word: smell fishy
word: smelling bottle
word: smelling salt
word: smell like a rose
word: smell like a tart's bedroom
word: smell like a tart's boudoir
word: smell like a tart's handbag
word: smell like a tart's handkerchief
word: smell of an oily rag
word: smell of the lamp
word: smell of the shop
word: smell one's own farts
word: smell out
word: smell test
word: smell the barn
word: smell the coffee
word: smell the roses
word: smell up
word: smell what someone is stepping in
word: smelly
word: smell ya later
word: smell you later
word: smock-smelling
word: stop and smell the flowers
word: stop and smell the roses
word: stop to smell the roses
word: sweet-smelling
word: wake up and smell the ashes
word: wake up and smell the coffee
word: wake up and smell the roses
Related terms: anosmia
sense