olfactory

American  

[ol-fak-tuh-ree, -tree, ohl-] / ɒlˈfæk tə ri, -tri, oʊl- /

adjective

1. of or relating to the sense of smell.

   olfactory organs.

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noun

olfactories plural

1. Usually olfactories. an olfactory organ.

2. olfactory nerve.

olfactory British  

/ -trɪ, ɒlˈfæktərɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to the sense of smell

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noun

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

olfactory Scientific  

/ ŏl-făk′tə-rē,ōl- /

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

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olfactory Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for the sense of smell.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonolfactory
  adjective
• olfactorily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• olfactories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of olfactory

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

Explanation

Something olfactory has to do with the sense of smell. The odor from that factory is a symphony of olfactory delights. Not. Though we typically think of dogs as the olfactory champions of the world, what with their remarkable ability to sniff out practically anything, the true title belongs to the polar bear. Healthy, adult polar bears possess olfactory gifts that boggle the mind: they can smell a seal under the ice from over a kilometer away. One way to try to remember the meaning of the word olfactory is to think of factory. Your nose is the "factory" where odors are processed. What visual is to the eyes, olfactory is to the nose.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

olfactory olfactories

Pigeons "have an extremely sophisticated olfactory system, so that they can smell grass seed when it's being sown," said Davis.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Then the team hopes to treat the problem by placing sensor chips in the patient’s olfactory tissue to help preserve or restore scent perception.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

When I hear the word potluck, I am transported, with a kind of olfactory immediacy, to the basement of my grandmother’s church.

From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026

Does the olfactory exhilaration also enhance play-calling, amplifying one’s grasp of X’s and O’s?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2026

Training of cells for olfactory sensing appears to be an everyday phenomenon.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

“Thank God my moustache filters out some of the stench. My olfactories are already beginning to send out distress signals.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Perfume from oleander hedges smote softly the olfactories of Brown; the southern whip-poor-wills' hurried whisper thrilled the darkness with a deeper mystery.

From Quick Action by Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)

To my uneducated olfactories it seemed past the turning point and far on the road to utter ruin—the smell was so suffocating and sickening.

From Six Days on the Hurricane Deck of a Mule An account of a journey made on mule back in Honduras, C.A. in August, 1891 by Cole, Almira Stillwell

He looked sharply around in every direction, but saw nothing of the camp, although positive that his olfactories could not have deceived him.

From The Lost Trail by Ellis, Edward Sylvester

The fragrance of the coffee, the smell of the fried ham smote Shorty's olfactories with almost irresistible force.

From Si Klegg, Book 4 (of 6) Experiences Of Si And Shorty On The Great Tullahoma Campaign by McElroy, John

Related Words

• audiovisual
• auditory
• aural
• neural
• neurological
• sensual
• sonic
• tactile
• visual