scent
/sɛnt/ · scent
noun
- A distinctive odour or smell. The scent of fresh pine filled the cabin.
- An odour left by an animal that may be used for tracing. The hound followed the faint scent of the rabbit through the underbrush.
- The sense of smell; the ability to detect odours. Bloodhounds are famed for their superior scent.
verb
- To detect or perceive by the sense of smell. The dog scented the hidden treat under the rug.
- To have a suspicion or inkling of something. She scented trouble when the lights flickered.
- To impart an odour to something. He scented the room with lavender oil before the guests arrived.
Did you know? The word ‘scent’ shares its root with ‘sense’ and ‘sentient’, all tracing back to Latin *sentīre* meaning ‘to feel or perceive’, highlighting how smell is a fundamental sense.