olfaction
Americannoun
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the act of smelling.
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the sense of smell.
noun
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the sense of smell
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the act or function of smelling
Etymology
Origin of olfaction
1840–50; < Latin olfact ( us ) past participle of olfacere to smell ( see olfactory) + -ion
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.
Of all the senses, olfaction — smell — must be the most primal and evocative, the most magically elusive.
From Salon • Jan. 5, 2025
Most species, including most mammals, really rely on olfaction to make sense of the world.
From Salon • Jan. 5, 2025
The interdisciplinary group of experts in olfaction, psychology, ecology, public health, atmospheric science and other fields are based at institutions in the U.S., the U.K.,
From Science Daily • May 15, 2024
At its core, the human sense of smell, or olfaction, is a complex chemical detection system in constant operation.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2024
The theories to explain olfaction are as numerous and complex as those for immunologic sensing.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
