scent
Contents
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- sent (obsolete)
Etymology[edit]
From c.1400 Old French sentir (“to feel, perceive, smell”), from Latin sentire "to feel, perceive, sense"; originally a hunting term, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to feel”), and thus related to Dutch zin (“sense, meaning”), German Sinn (“sense”), Low German Sinn (“sense”), Luxembourgish Sënn (“sense, perception”), Saterland Frisian Sin (“sense”), West Frisian sin (“sense”). The -c- appeared in the 17th century, possibly by influence of ascent, descent, etc., or by influence of science.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
scent (plural scents)
- A distinctive odour or smell.
- An odour left by an animal that may be used for tracing.
- The dogs lost the scent.
- The sense of smell.
- I believe the bloodhound has the best scent of all dogs.
- A perfume.
- (figuratively) Any trail or trace that can be followed to find something or someone.
-
1749, Henry Fielding, chapter I, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, London: A[ndrew] Millar, OCLC 928184292, book IV:
- To be plain, I much question whether the politician, who hath generally a good nose, hath not scented out somewhat of the utility of this practice.
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- (obsolete) Sense, perception.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene:
- A fit false dream, that can delude the sleeper's sent.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene:
Usage notes[edit]
- Almost always applied to agreeable odors (fragrances).
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
distinctive odour or smell
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odour left by animal
sense of smell
perfume
figuratively: any traces that can be followed
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Verb[edit]
scent (third-person singular simple present scents, present participle scenting, simple past and past participle scented)
- to detect the scent of
- The hounds scented the fox in the woods.
- Shakespeare
- Methinks I scent the morning air.
- to impart an odour to
- Scent the air with burning sage before you begin your meditation.
- Dryden
- Balm from a silver box distilled around, / Shall all bedew the roots, and scent the sacred ground.
- To have a smell.
- Holland
- Thunderbolts […] do scent strongly of brimstone.
- Holland
- To hunt animals by means of the sense of smell.
Translations[edit]
to detect the scent of
to impart an odour to
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Anagrams[edit]
Categories:
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English terms with homophones
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English verbs
- en:Smell
