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Scent

//sɛnt// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A distinctive smell. countable, uncountable

    "the scent of flowers / of a skunk"

  2. 2
    any property detected by the olfactory system wordnet
  3. 3
    A smell left by an animal that may be used for tracing. countable, uncountable

    "The dogs picked up / caught the scent but then quickly lost it."

  4. 4
    an odor left in passing by which a person or animal can be traced wordnet
  5. 5
    The sense of smell. countable, uncountable

    "I believe the bloodhound has the best scent of all dogs."

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  1. 6
    a distinctive odor that is pleasant wordnet
  2. 7
    A substance (usually liquid) created to provide a pleasant smell. uncountable

    "a scent shop"

  3. 8
    Any trail or trace that can be followed to find something or someone, such as the paper left behind in a paperchase. countable, figuratively, uncountable

    "The minister's off-hand remark put journalists on the scent of a cover-up."

  4. 9
    Sense, perception. countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "A fit false dreame, that can delude the sleepers sent."

Verb
  1. 1
    To detect the scent of; to discern by the sense of smell. transitive

    "The hounds scented the fox in the woods."

  2. 2
    apply perfume to wordnet
  3. 3
    To inhale in order to detect the scent of (something). ambitransitive

    "I paused to scent the breeze as I entered the valley."

  4. 4
    catch the scent of; get wind of wordnet
  5. 5
    To have a suspicion of; to detect the possibility of (something). figuratively, transitive

    "I scented trouble when I saw them running down the hill towards me."

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  1. 6
    cause to smell or be smelly wordnet
  2. 7
    To impart an odour to, to cause to have a particular smell. transitive

    "Scent the air with burning sage before you begin your meditation."

  3. 8
    To have a smell; (figuratively) to give an impression (of something). intransitive, obsolete

    "Thunderbolts & lightnings […] do sent strongly of brimstone:"

  4. 9
    To hunt animals by means of the sense of smell.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English sent (noun) and senten (verb), from Old French sentir (“to feel, perceive, smell, sense”), from Latin sentīre (“to feel, sense”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to feel”), and thus related to Saterland Frisian Sin (“sense”), West Frisian sin (“sense”), Dutch zin (“sense, meaning”), Low German Sinn (“sense”), Luxembourgish Sënn (“sense, perception”), German Sinn (“sense”). The -c- appeared in the 17th century, possibly by influence of ascent, descent, etc., or by influence of science.

Etymology 2

From Middle English sent (noun) and senten (verb), from Old French sentir (“to feel, perceive, smell, sense”), from Latin sentīre (“to feel, sense”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to feel”), and thus related to Saterland Frisian Sin (“sense”), West Frisian sin (“sense”), Dutch zin (“sense, meaning”), Low German Sinn (“sense”), Luxembourgish Sënn (“sense, perception”), German Sinn (“sense”). The -c- appeared in the 17th century, possibly by influence of ascent, descent, etc., or by influence of science.

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