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Nose

/[nəʊ̯z]/ noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A protuberance on the face housing the nostrils, which are used to breathe or smell.

    "She had a small nose between two sparkling blue eyes."

  2. 2
    a front that resembles a human nose (especially the front of an aircraft) wordnet
  3. 3
    A snout, the nose of an animal.
  4. 4
    the front or forward projection of a tool or weapon wordnet
  5. 5
    The tip of an object.

    "the nose of a tea-kettle, a bellows, or a fighter plane"

Show 16 more definitions
  1. 6
    a projecting spout from which a fluid is discharged wordnet
  2. 7
    The bulge on the side of a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, that fits into the hole of its adjacent piece.
  3. 8
    the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals wordnet
  4. 9
    The length of a horse’s nose, used to indicate the distance between horses at the finish of a race, or any very close race.

    "Red Rum only won by a nose."

  5. 10
    a natural skill wordnet
  6. 11
    A perfumer.

    "Jacques Polge, Chanel's top “nose” since 1978, made the decision when developers started trying to buy up land around Grasse, where the Muls cultivate three hectares of the precious plant."

  7. 12
    the sense of smell (especially in animals) wordnet
  8. 13
    The sense of smell.

    "We are not offended with […] a dog for a better nose than his master."

  9. 14
    a symbol of inquisitiveness wordnet
  10. 15
    Bouquet, the smell of something, especially wine. idiomatic
  11. 16
    a small distance wordnet
  12. 17
    The skill in recognising bouquet.

    "It is essential that a winetaster develops a good nose."

  13. 18
    Skill at finding information. broadly

    "A successful reporter has a nose for news."

  14. 19
    The action of nosing, in the sense to snoop also, idiomatic

    "They had a nose around the abandoned property."

  15. 20
    A downward projection from a cornice.
  16. 21
    An informer. slang

    "[…] M was a Magsman, frequenting Pall-Mall; / N was a Nose that turned chirp on his pal; […]"

Verb
  1. 1
    To move cautiously by advancing its front end. intransitive

    "The ship nosed through the minefield."

  2. 2
    defeat by a narrow margin wordnet
  3. 3
    To snoop. also, ambitransitive, idiomatic, intransitive

    "She was nosing around other people’s business."

  4. 4
    rub noses wordnet
  5. 5
    To detect by smell or as if by smell. transitive

    "[…] if you finde him not this moneth, you ſhall noſe him as you go vp the ſtaires into the Lobby."

Show 11 more definitions
  1. 6
    push or move with the nose wordnet
  2. 7
    To push with one's nose; to nuzzle. transitive

    "[L]ambs are glad / Nosing the mother's udder, and the bird / Makes his heart voice among the blaze of flowers: […]"

  3. 8
    advance the forward part of with caution wordnet
  4. 9
    To defeat (as in a race or other contest) by a narrow margin; sometimes with out. transitive
  5. 10
    catch the scent of; get wind of wordnet
  6. 11
    To utter in a nasal manner; to pronounce with a nasal twang. transitive

    "to nose a prayer"

  7. 12
    search or inquire in a meddlesome way wordnet
  8. 13
    To furnish with a nose. transitive

    "to nose a stair tread"

  9. 14
    To confront; be closely face to face or opposite to. transitive
  10. 15
    To dive down in a steep angle; to nosedive intransitive
  11. 16
    To travel with the nose of the plane/ship aimed in a particular direction. intransitive

    "The plane is nosing up!"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English nose, from Old English nosu, from Proto-West Germanic *nosu, variant of *nasō, old dual from Proto-Indo-European *néh₂s- ~ *nh₂es- (“nose, nostril”). See also Saterland Frisian Noose, West Frisian noas, Dutch neus, Swedish nos, Norwegian nos (“snout”), Low German Nääs, German Nase, Swedish näsa, Norwegian nese, Danish næse (“nose”); also Latin nāris (“nostril”), nāsus (“nose”), Lithuanian nósis, Russian нос (nos), Sanskrit नासा (nā́sā, “nostrils”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English nose, from Old English nosu, from Proto-West Germanic *nosu, variant of *nasō, old dual from Proto-Indo-European *néh₂s- ~ *nh₂es- (“nose, nostril”). See also Saterland Frisian Noose, West Frisian noas, Dutch neus, Swedish nos, Norwegian nos (“snout”), Low German Nääs, German Nase, Swedish näsa, Norwegian nese, Danish næse (“nose”); also Latin nāris (“nostril”), nāsus (“nose”), Lithuanian nósis, Russian нос (nos), Sanskrit नासा (nā́sā, “nostrils”).

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