scent

American  

[sent] / sɛnt /

noun

1. a distinctive odor, especially when agreeable.

   the scent of roses.

2. an odor left in passing, by means of which an animal or person may be traced.

3. a track or trail as or as if indicated by such an odor.

   The dogs lost the scent and the prisoner escaped.

4. perfume.

5. the sense of smell.

   a remarkably keen scent.

6. small pieces of paper dropped by the hares in the game of hare and hounds.

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verb (used with object)

1. to perceive or recognize by or as if by the sense of smell.

   to scent trouble.

   Synonyms:

   sniff, smell

2. to fill with an odor; perfume.

verb (used without object)

1. to hunt by the sense of smell, as a hound.

scent British  

/ sɛnt /

noun

1. a distinctive smell, esp a pleasant one

2. a smell left in passing, by which a person or animal may be traced

3. a trail, clue, or guide

4. an instinctive ability for finding out or detecting

5. another word (esp Brit) for perfume

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verb

1. (tr) to recognize or be aware of by or as if by the smell

2. (tr) to have a suspicion of; detect

   I scent foul play

3. (tr) to fill with odour or fragrance

4. (intr) (of hounds, etc) to hunt by the sense of smell

5. to smell (at)

   the dog scented the air

scent Idioms  

1. see throw off, def. 3.

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Related Words

See odor.

Other Word Forms

• nonscented adjective
• outscent verb (used with object)
• overscented adjective
• scented adjective
• scentless adjective
• scentlessness noun
• unscented adjective
• well-scented adjective

Etymology

Origin of scent

First recorded in 1325–75; (verb) earlier sent, Middle English senten, from Middle French sentir “to smell,” from Latin sentīre, “to feel”; (noun) Middle English, derivative of the verb sense

Example Sentences

Teenage boys have been drenching themselves and their surroundings in its scents for decades—and drawing complaints and choking coughs for just as long.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I nail my mouth to the evil taste of lipstick, inhale the scent of someone else’s lipstick…”

From Salon

There was nothing artificial about the atmosphere as every Macclesfield fan scented another shock in the cold night air.

From BBC

With scents like Moonlit Masquerade and Raspberry Rendezvous—and emblazoned with floral motifs instantly recognizable to “Bridgerton” fans—the show’s aesthetics propelled sales.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead of shelves of alcohol, apothecary drawers stocked with ingredients like goji berries and angelica root line the walls, permeating the room with their scent.

From Barron's

Related Words

• aura
• bouquet
• essence
• odor
• perfume
• spice
• whiff