scent

American  

[sent] / sɛnt /

noun

scents plural

1. a distinctive odor, especially when agreeable.

   the scent of roses.

2. an odor left in passing, by means of which an animal or person may be traced.

3. a track or trail as or as if indicated by such an odor.

   The dogs lost the scent and the prisoner escaped.

4. perfume.

5. the sense of smell.

   a remarkably keen scent.

6. small pieces of paper dropped by the hares in the game of hare and hounds.

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verb (used with object)

scents, present (3rd person singular) scented, past participle, past scenting present participle

1. to perceive or recognize by or as if by the sense of smell.

   to scent trouble.

   Synonyms:

   sniff, smell

2. to fill with an odor; perfume.

verb (used without object)

scents, present (3rd person singular) scented, past participle, past scenting present participle

1. to hunt by the sense of smell, as a hound.

scent British  

/ sɛnt /

noun

1. a distinctive smell, esp a pleasant one

2. a smell left in passing, by which a person or animal may be traced

3. a trail, clue, or guide

4. an instinctive ability for finding out or detecting

5. another word (esp Brit) for perfume

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verb

1. (tr) to recognize or be aware of by or as if by the smell

2. (tr) to have a suspicion of; detect

   I scent foul play

3. (tr) to fill with odour or fragrance

4. (intr) (of hounds, etc) to hunt by the sense of smell

5. to smell (at)

   the dog scented the air

scent Idioms  

1. see throw off, def. 3.

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Synonym Usage

See odor.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• scentlessness
  noun
• nonscented
  adjective
• overscented
  adjective
• scented
  adjective
• scentless
  adjective
• unscented
  adjective
• well-scented
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scents
  plural

Participles

• scenting
  present
• scented
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• scent
  simple
• scents
  simple
• have scented
  perfect
• has scented
  perfect
• am scenting
  progressive
• are scenting
  progressive
• is scenting
  progressive
• have been scenting
  perfect progressive
• has been scenting
  perfect progressive

Past

• scented
  simple
• had scented
  perfect
• was scenting
  progressive
• were scenting
  progressive
• had been scenting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will scent
  simple
• will have scented
  perfect
• will be scenting
  progressive
• will have been scenting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of scent

First recorded in 1325–75; (verb) earlier sent, Middle English senten, from Middle French sentir “to smell,” from Latin sentīre, “to feel”; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the verb Cf. sense

Explanation

A scent is a smell. Every house has a particular scent that is recognizable to people as belonging to that house. Scent comes from the Latin sentire meaning "to feel, perceive, sense." The word was originally used in reference to hunting dogs, who track down animals by their scent. If you "pick up a scent," then you have a clue about something. If you wear a perfume, then you leave your scent in the air as you pass. Use scent instead of smell if you want to talk about a distinctively nice odor, like the scent of fresh-cut grass.

Example Sentences

Artist Megan Lindeman, who founded Silverlake Scent Club in August 2025, is also bringing people together to explore scent as a shared social experience.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

Unlike the current barrage of agentic stylists and shoppers tasked with picking outfits and hunting down deals, the “AI Scent Advisor” must spin everyday language into the intangible and totally nondigital experience of smelling.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

A study carried out by the University of Helsinki's DogRisk research group, the University of Eastern Finland and Wise Nose -- Scent Discrimination Association in Finland investigated the threshold for scent detection in dogs.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

Pacino, an acting legend, won the Oscar for best actor in 1993 for Scent of a Woman.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2024

The crew soon gave the harbor the sarcastic name “the Scent Bottle.”

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

• aura
• bouquet
• essence
• odor
• perfume
• spice
• whiff