Definition

1. Noun:

   • The part of the face that contains the nostrils and is used for breathing and smelling: The organ of smell and the entrance to the respiratory tract.
   • The sense of smell: The ability to perceive odors.
   • A natural talent for detecting or finding something: An instinctive skill for discovery.
   • The front or projecting part of something: The forward-facing or pointed end of an object, vehicle, or tool.
   • A small margin or lead: A very narrow advantage or distance.

2. Verb:

   • To search or pry inquisitively: To investigate or look around in a meddlesome way.
   • To move or push forward cautiously: To advance carefully, especially with the front end.
   • To perceive by or as if by smell: To detect or discover through scent or investigation.
   • To touch or rub with the nose: To nuzzle.
   • To defeat by a very small margin: To win narrowly.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • She has a small nose. (She has a small organ on her face for smelling.)
  • The dog has an excellent nose. (The dog has a very good sense of smell.)
  • A good reporter has a nose for news. (A good reporter has a natural talent for finding stories.)
  • The nose of the plane was damaged. (The front part of the aircraft was damaged.)
  • He won the race by a nose. (He won the race by a very small distance.)

• Verb:

  • Don't nose into my private affairs. (Do not pry into my personal business.)
  • The car nosed into the tight parking spot. (The car moved carefully forward into the narrow space.)
  • The detective nosed out the truth. (The detective discovered the truth through investigation.)
  • The horse nosed my hand. (The horse touched my hand with its nose.)
  • Our team nosed out the competition in the final seconds. (Our team narrowly defeated the competition.)

Advanced Usage

• To have a nose for something: To have a natural talent for finding or recognizing something.

  • She has a nose for a bargain. (She is naturally skilled at finding good deals.)

• To keep one's nose out of something: To avoid interfering in something.

  • I wish he would keep his nose out of our project. (I wish he would stop interfering in our project.)

• To look down one's nose at someone/something: To regard with contempt or disdain.

  • She looks down her nose at fast food. (She regards fast food with disdain.)

• To pay through the nose: To pay an excessively high price.

  • We paid through the nose for those concert tickets. (We paid a very high price for the tickets.)

• To turn up one's nose at something: To show scorn or rejection towards something.

  • He turned up his nose at the simple meal. (He rejected the simple meal with scorn.)

• Under someone's nose: Directly in front of someone, often surprisingly unnoticed.

  • The keys were right under my nose the whole time. (The keys were in plain sight in front of me.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nosy (adj): Inquisitive in a meddlesome way.
  • Our nosy neighbor knows everyone's business.
• Nosed (adj): Having a nose of a specified kind.
  • A red-nosed reindeer.
• Nosebleed (n): A bleed from the nose.
  • He got a nosebleed after the accident.

Synonyms

• Noun (organ): Snout, proboscis (for animals).
• Noun (sense): Olfaction, sense of smell.
• Noun (front): Front, tip, prow, bow.
• Verb (pry): Snoop, poke, meddle.
• Verb (detect): Scent, sniff out, discover.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Nose about/around: To search or pry around a place.
  • The manager is always nosing around the office.
• Nose out: To discover something by searching; to defeat by a narrow margin.
  • The journalist nosed out the scandal.
  • The underdog nosed out the champion.
• Nose into: To pry into (a matter).
  • He's always nosing into other people's business.

Related Idioms

• Cut off one's nose to spite one's face: To harm oneself in the process of trying to harm another.
  • Refusing the promotion just to annoy your boss is cutting off your nose to spite your face.
• Follow one's nose: To go straight ahead; to act on instinct.
  • Just follow your nose until you see the church.
  • I don't have a map; I'm just following my nose.
• Keep one's nose to the grindstone: To work hard and steadily.
  • If you keep your nose to the grindstone, you'll finish the project on time.
• Lead someone by the nose: To control someone completely.
  • He lets his assistant lead him by the nose.
• Put someone's nose out of joint: To upset or annoy someone, especially by displacing them.
  • Getting the promotion he wanted really put his nose out of joint.
• Speak through one's nose: To talk with a nasal tone.
  • He has a cold and is speaking through his nose.

Noun

1. a projecting spout from which a fluid is discharged
2. a natural skill
   • he has a nose for good deals
3. the sense of smell (especially in animals)
   • the hound has a good nose
4. a symbol of inquisitiveness
   • keep your nose out of it
5. a small distance
   • my horse lost the race by a nose
6. the front or forward projection of a tool or weapon
   • he ducked under the nose of the gun
7. a front that resembles a human nose (especially the front of an aircraft)
   • the nose of the rocket heated up on reentry
8. the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
   • he has a cold in the nose

Verb

1. defeat by a narrow margin
2. rub noses
3. push or move with the nose
4. catch the scent of; get wind of
   • The dog nosed out the drugs
5. advance the forward part of with caution
   • She nosed the car into the left lane
6. search or inquire in a meddlesome way
   • This guy is always nosing around the office