nostrilful

English

Etymology

nostril +‎ -ful

Noun

nostrilful (plural nostrilfuls or nostrilsful)

1. The amount of a substance that can fit in a nostril.
   • 1969 February 15, “Angling: Cliff Parker says: It’s a wise salmon that knows its own father”, in The Birmingham Post, number 34,408, page III:

     Some of his contemporaries from other waters are greeted with nostrilsful of foul water, reeking of detergent and factory waste.

Usage notes

This word is rarely, if ever, used literally, and usually describes a small amount of something. It is often used to describe smells (e.g. he inhaled a nostrilful of that floral scent).