olfactory

[ ol-fak-tuh-ree, -tree, ohl- ]
See synonyms for olfactory on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of or relating to the sense of smell: olfactory organs.

noun,plural ol·fac·to·ries.
  1. Usually olfactories. an olfactory organ.

Origin of olfactory

1
1650–60; <Latin olfactōrius, equivalent to olfac(ere) to smell at, sniff (ol(ēre) to smell (akin to odor) + facere to make, do) + -tōrius-tory1

Other words from olfactory

  • ol·fac·to·ri·ly, adverb
  • non·ol·fac·to·ry, adjective, noun, plural non·ol·fac·to·ries.

Words Nearby olfactory

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How to use olfactory in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for olfactory

olfactory

/ (ɒlˈfæktərɪ, -trɪ) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to the sense of smell

nounplural -ries
  1. (usually plural) an organ or nerve concerned with the sense of smell

Origin of olfactory

1
C17: from Latin olfactus, past participle of olfacere, from olere to smell + facere to make

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for olfactory

olfactory

[ ŏl-făktə-rē, ōl- ]


  1. Relating to or involving the organs or sense of smell.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for olfactory

olfactory

[ (ol-fak-tuh-ree, ohl-fak-tuh-ree) ]


A descriptive term for the sense of smell.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.