scent

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From c.1400, borrowed from Old French sentir (“to feel, perceive, smell”), from Old French sentire "to feel, perceive, sense", from Latin sentīre, present active infinitive of sentiō. 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

Noun

scent (countable and uncountable, plural scents)

  1. A distinctive odour or smell.
    the scent of flowers
    the scent of a skunk
  2. An odour left by an animal that may be used for tracing.
    The dogs lost the scent.
  3. The sense of smell.
    I believe the bloodhound has the best scent of all dogs.
  4. A perfume.
  5. (figuratively) Any trail or trace that can be followed to find something or someone, such as the paper left behind in a paperchase.
  6. (obsolete) Sense, perception.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene:
      A fit false dream, that can delude the sleeper's sent.

Usage notes

  • Almost always applied to agreeable odors (fragrances).

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb

scent (third-person singular simple present scents, present participle scenting, simple past and past participle scented)

  1. (transitive) To detect the scent of; to discern by the sense of smell.
    The hounds scented the fox in the woods.
    • (Can we date this quote by William Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Methinks I scent the morning air.
  2. (transitive, figurative) To have a suspicion of.
    I scented trouble when I saw them running down the hill towards me.
  3. (transitive) To impart an odour to.
    Scent the air with burning sage before you begin your meditation.
    • (Can we date this quote by John Dryden and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Balm from a silver box distilled around, / Shall all bedew the roots, and scent the sacred ground.
  4. (intransitive, archaic) To have a smell.
    • (Can we date this quote by Holland and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Thunderbolts […] do scent strongly of brimstone.
  5. To hunt animals by means of the sense of smell.

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams

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