nose
Americannoun
-
noses
plural
-
the part of the face or facial region in humans and certain animals that contains the nostrils and the organs of smell and functions as the usual passageway for air in respiration: in humans it is a prominence in the center of the face formed of bone and cartilage, serving also to modify or modulate the voice.
-
this part as the organ of smell.
-
the sense of smell.
fragrances appealing to the nose.
-
anything regarded as resembling the nose of a person or animal, as a spout or nozzle.
-
the prow of a ship.
-
the forward end of an aircraft.
-
the forward edge of the head of a golf club.
-
a projecting part of anything.
the nose of a pair of pliers.
-
a faculty of perceiving or detecting.
to have a nose for news.
-
the human nose regarded as a symbol of meddling or prying.
Why can't he keep his nose out of my business?
-
the length of a nose.
The horse won the race by a nose.
-
the bouquet of an alcoholic drink, especially the distinctive aroma of a wine.
verb (used with object)
-
noses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
nosed,
past participle, past
-
nosing
present participle
-
to perceive by or as by the nose or the sense of smell.
a cheese that could be nosed at some distance.
-
to approach the nose to, as in smelling or examining; sniff.
-
to move or push forward with or as with the nose.
The dog nosed its pup back into the yard. The boat nosed its way toward shore.
-
to touch or rub with the nose; nuzzle.
verb (used without object)
-
noses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
nosed,
past participle, past
-
nosing
present participle
-
to smell or sniff.
-
to seek as if by smelling or scent.
The dogs nosed after their quarry.
-
to move or push forward.
to nose into the wind.
-
to meddle or pry (often followed by about, into, etc.).
They are always nosing about in other people's business.
verb phrase
idioms
-
count noses, to count the number of people in attendance.
Each time the troop left an exhibit the leader counted noses.
-
on the nose,
-
precisely, correctly, or perfectly.
-
exactly on time.
We made it at ten o'clock on the nose.
-
(of a bet) for win only.
-
Australian Informal. decayed or putrid; stinking.
-
Australian Informal. distasteful or unpleasant; of doubtful validity or propriety.
-
-
hold one's nose, to repress feelings of distaste, repulsion, or offense for something that one is obliged to do.
He held his nose and voted for the bill.
-
follow one's nose,
-
to go forward in a straight course.
-
to guide oneself by instinct.
I found the house by following my nose.
-
-
look down one's nose at, to regard with disdain or condescension.
He had always looked down his nose at those who were poorer than he.
-
cut off one's nose to spite one's face, to create a disadvantage to oneself through one's own spiteful action.
-
rub someone's nose in, to persecute or tease someone persistently about; nag someone about.
I know I was wrong but you don't have to rub my nose in it.
-
pay through the nose, to pay an excessive price.
They patronize small and exclusive shops where they cheerfully pay through the nose.
-
keep one's nose clean, to behave oneself; avoid trouble or scandal.
Did he keep his nose clean after he got out of prison?
-
keep one's nose to the grindstone. grindstone.
-
lead (around) by the nose, to exercise complete control over; dominate totally.
He lets his brother lead him by the nose.
-
turn up one's nose at, to regard with contempt; scorn.
My friend turns up his nose at anyone who hasn't had a college education.
-
under someone's nose, plainly visible to; in full view of; in bold defiance of: Also under someone's very nose.
The theft took place right under the detective's nose.
-
put someone's nose out of joint,
-
to annoy or irritate greatly.
-
to supersede a person in another's regard, devotion, etc.
-
to thwart someone; spoil someone's plans.
-
noun
-
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract, consisting of a prominent structure divided into two hair-lined air passages by a median septum
-
the sense of smell itself: in hounds and other animals, the ability to follow trails by scent (esp in the phrases a good nose , a bad nose )
-
another word for bouquet
-
instinctive skill or facility, esp in discovering things (sometimes in the phrase follow one's nose )
he had a nose for good news stories
-
any part regarded as resembling a nose in form or function, such as a nozzle or spout
-
the forward part of a vehicle, aircraft, etc, esp the front end of an aircraft
-
narrow margin of victory (in the phrase ( win ) by a nose )
-
to carry out a vengeful action that hurts oneself more than another
-
informal to annoy or irritate someone
-
to stay out of trouble; behave properly
-
to work hard and continuously
-
to make someone do unquestioningly all one wishes; dominate someone
-
informal to be contemptuous or disdainful of
-
(of vehicles) moving or standing very close behind one another
-
slang
-
(in horse-race betting) to win only
I bet twenty pounds on the nose on that horse
-
precisely; exactly
-
bad or bad-smelling
-
-
informal to pay an exorbitant price
-
informal to pry into or interfere in
-
informal to thwart or offend someone, esp by supplanting him or gaining something he regards as his
-
informal to remind someone unkindly of his failing or error
-
informal
-
to be short-sighted; suffer from myopia
-
to lack insight or foresight
-
-
informal to behave disdainfully towards (something)
-
-
directly in front of one
-
without one noticing
-
-
haughtily
verb
-
(tr) (esp of horses, dogs, etc) to rub, touch, or sniff with the nose; nuzzle
-
to smell or sniff (wine, etc)
-
(intr; usually foll by after or for) to search (for) by or as if by scent
-
to move or cause to move forwards slowly and carefully
the car nosed along the cliff top
we nosed the car into the garage
-
(intr; foll by into, around, about, etc) to pry or snoop (into) or meddle (in)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
nosesimple
-
nosessimple
-
have nosedperfect
-
has nosedperfect
-
am nosingprogressive
-
are nosingprogressive
-
is nosingprogressive
-
have been nosingperfect progressive
-
has been nosingperfect progressive
Past
-
nosedsimple
-
had nosedperfect
-
was nosingprogressive
-
were nosingprogressive
-
had been nosingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nose
before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English nosu; akin to Dutch neus, German Nase, Latin nāsus, Sanskrit nāsā
Explanation
Your nose is the body part sticking out of your face (not that pimple, the pointy feature with two nostrils used for smelling). A nose is a sense organ — your nose tells you if the milk's gone bad or the cantaloupe is ripe. Dogs' noses give them even more information, about where their owners have been or which neighbor cats have been hanging out in their yards. If someone says you "have a nose" for something, they mean you're talented at it. As a verb, nose means to pry or meddle, or for an animal to push its nose against or into something.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The lyric is built almost entirely from humble, monosyllabic words: a warm smile, a soft cheek, a laugh that wrinkles the nose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Even if it takes the Clippers holding their nose and restocking, there are ways forward, and having the Raptors’ two first-rounders in their pocket will help.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Sit in a fog of fragrance long enough and your nose stops noticing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Crowther, an equities trader, became known as the "man in the red bandana" after survivors told stories about a mysterious man wearing one over his nose and mouth.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Then I saw the spreading horns and the long lumpy nose.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
If there were any time to turn our noses up in defiance and refuse to engage with anything less than quality, it’s now.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Across the pavements, residential areas and public spaces of African cities, the informal economy is booming under the noses of authorities, who are often powerless to stop it.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
The party was a little livelier than your typical book launch: Heiser says it “featured a reading backed by an excellent jazz trio, ceramic noses, a scent-maker, mimes and speed therapy, among many other things.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
With sales slumping, winemakers that once turned up their noses at airlines are competing to get their best bottles on board.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
We passed a file of inmates, all dressed in baggy pants, ragged coats, and caps, gray faces in dim light; one had one of the most crooked noses I’d ever seen.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
All I know is that when Pebble Beach’s traffic control staff forced me to execute a tricky U-turn on a narrow road—at night, in front of witnesses—the Multistrada nosed around beautifully.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
The champions nosed ahead through a Lewandowski penalty on 10 minutes after Marcos Alonso handled Fermin Lopez's shot, but Celta equalised a minute later.
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2025
Crossing the bay, the boat nosed through the broken surface ice.
From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2025
Tracking data show the plane, owned by 73-year-old pilot Ali Safai, climbed to 75 feet above the runway, veered right and then nosed into a sudden, terrifyingly steep dive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2024
The water shook back and the boat nosed ahead, and the family cried, “Hurrah!”
From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
The entire Crace clan is resisting Susan’s nosing about, imperiling the brand and jeopardizing the Netflix deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
It has returned 15.8% a year over the past decade, nosing out the benchmark index, which has returned 15.6%, through May 8.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
It’s funny, then, that the people nosing their way past the lines Allen draws and into her personal life are the same ones hoping for Harbour and Allen to be symbols of morality.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2025
"When mami was pulled out of the cellar I had customers coming around to me and looking and nosing at what was going on."
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2024
Wolf stopped nosing and gave a warning grunt.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
