scent
- a distinctive odor, especially when agreeable: the scent of roses.
- an odor left in passing, by means of which an animal or person may be traced.
- a track or trail as or as if indicated by such an odor: The dogs lost the scent and the prisoner escaped.
- perfume.
- the sense of smell: a remarkably keen scent.
- small pieces of paper dropped by the hares in the game of hare and hounds.
- to perceive or recognize by or as if by the sense of smell: to scent trouble.
- to fill with an odor; perfume.
- to hunt by the sense of smell, as a hound.
Origin of scent
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comExamples from the Web for scented
Contemporary Examples
She was obsessed with the flower-printed, scented toilet paper.
How ‘Titanic ’Helped This Brave Young Woman Escape North Korea’s Totalitarian StateLizzie Crocker
October 31, 2014
Tessie rose, unrolled her scented handkerchief, and taking a bit of gum from a knot in the hem, placed it in her mouth.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the ShowRobert W. Chambers
February 20, 2014
The fashionable gift was scented candles, some costing $150 each.
The buildings are scented with candles from high-end home furnishings brand Jonathan Adler.
Our ritual duty of holiness satisfied after half an hour in the scented gothic air, there were more stops in bars.
Historical Examples
She lay awake, gazing into the scented darkness, her arms under her head.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
The quicker wit of the young woman first scented his meaning.
In the ValleyHarold Frederic
Hence that scented little cat with whom he had lived for the past year.
The HarborErnest Poole
Some scented tree was in bloom and the air was full of its soft fragrance.
Jan and Her JobL. Allen Harker
They stood shoulder to shoulder in the scented stillness of the night.
Jan and Her JobL. Allen Harker
scent
- a distinctive smell, esp a pleasant one
- a smell left in passing, by which a person or animal may be traced
- a trail, clue, or guide
- an instinctive ability for finding out or detecting
- another word (esp Brit) for perfume
- (tr) to recognize or be aware of by or as if by the smell
- (tr) to have a suspicion of; detectI scent foul play
- (tr) to fill with odour or fragrance
- (intr) (of hounds, etc) to hunt by the sense of smell
- to smell (at)the dog scented the air
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for scented
adj.
1570s, "endowed with the power of smell;" 1740, "perfumed," past participle adjective from scent (v.).
scent
v.
late 14c., sent "to find the scent of," from Old French sentir "to feel, smell, touch, taste; realize, perceive; make love to," from Latin sentire " to feel, perceive, sense, discern, hear, see" (see sense (n.)).
Originally a hunting term. The -c- appeared 17c., perhaps by influence of ascent, descent, etc., or by influence of science. This was a tendency in early Modern English, cf. scythe, and also scite, scituate. Figurative use from 1550s. Transitive sense "impregnate with an odor, perfume" is from 1690s. Related: Scented; scenting.
scent
n.
late 14c., "scent, smell, what can be smelled" (as a means of pursuit by a hound), from scent (v.). Almost always applied to agreeable odors.
Idioms and Phrases with scented
scent
see throw off, def. 3.