anosmia
/æ'nɔsmiə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The absence of the sense of smell: A medical condition characterized by the complete or partial loss of the ability to detect odors. This can result from damage to the olfactory system or from a physical obstruction in the nose.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The head injury resulted in temporary anosmia.
- A common symptom of COVID-19 is sudden anosmia.
- Nasal polyps can cause anosmia by blocking the nasal passages.
Advanced Usage
- Clinical Context: The term is primarily used in medical, scientific, and clinical discussions to describe a specific sensory deficit.
- The study focused on the neurological causes of post-traumatic anosmia.
- Qualifiers: Often modified by adjectives specifying cause or duration (e.g., congenital anosmia, permanent anosmia, post-viral anosmia).
- She was born with congenital anosmia.
Variants and Related Words
- Anosmic (adj): Relating to or suffering from anosmia.
- The anosmic patient could not detect the gas leak.
- Hyposmia (n): A reduced sense of smell, as opposed to a complete absence.
- Hyposmia is less severe than total anosmia.
Synonyms
- Loss of smell: The general, non-technical phrase for the condition.
- Olfactory dysfunction: A broader term that includes anosmia and other smell disorders.
Antonyms
- Normosmia (n): A normal sense of smell.
- Hyperosmia (n): An abnormally heightened sense of smell.
Noun
- absence of the sense of smell (as by damage to olfactory nasal tissue or the olfactory nerve or by obstruction of the nasal passages)