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olfactory

[ ol-fak-tuh-ree, -tree, ohl- ]
/ ɒlˈfĂŠk tə ri, -tri, oʊl- /
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adjective
of or relating to the sense of smell: olfactory organs.
noun, plural ol·fac·to·ries.
Usually olfactories. an olfactory organ.
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Origin of olfactory

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

OTHER WORDS FROM olfactory

ol·fac·to·ri·ly, adverbnon·ol·fac·to·ry, adjective, noun, plural non·ol·fac·to·ries.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use olfactory in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for olfactory

olfactory
/ (ɒlˈfĂŠktərÉȘ, -trÉȘ) /

adjective
of or relating to the sense of smell
noun plural -ries
(usually plural) an organ or nerve concerned with the sense of smell

Word Origin for olfactory

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
[ Əl-făkâ€Čtə-rē, ƍl- ]

Relating to or involving the organs or sense of smell.
The American HeritageŸ 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.
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