Definition

1. Noun:

   • A smell, especially a pleasant one: A distinctive, often agreeable odor.
   • A trail or clue detectable by smell: The odor left by a person or animal, allowing them to be tracked.
   • Perfume: A liquid with a pleasant smell, worn on the body.

2. Verb:

   • To give something a pleasant smell: To apply perfume or fragrance to something.
   • To detect or perceive by smell: To smell or sense an odor, often used for animals.
   • To begin to have a smell: To give off an odor, often implying a pleasant one.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The scent of roses filled the garden. (A pleasant smell.)
  • The hounds picked up the fox's scent. (A trail detectable by smell.)
  • She wore a light, floral scent. (Perfume.)

• Verb:

  • She scented her letters with lavender. (Applied a pleasant smell.)
  • The dog scented the air nervously. (Detected by smell.)
  • The evening air scented of jasmine. (Gave off a smell.)

Advanced Usage

• On the scent: Having a clue or being close to discovering something.

  • The journalist is on the scent of a major story. (The journalist has a promising lead.)

• Put/throw someone off the scent: To mislead someone, to divert them from the correct track.

  • The false clue threw the investigators off the scent. (It misled the investigators.)

Variants and Related Words

• Scented (adj): Having a pleasant smell added.

  • scented candles (candles with a fragrance)

• Scentless (adj): Having no smell.

  • a scentless variety of flower (a flower with no odor)

Synonyms

• Noun: Aroma, fragrance, perfume, odor, smell, trail.
• Verb: Perfume, fragrance, smell, sniff, detect.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Scent out: To find or detect something by using the sense of smell or, figuratively, by investigation.
  • The truffle hog can scent out the fungi from meters away. (The pig can find truffles by smell.)
  • He has a talent for scenting out a good business opportunity. (He has a talent for detecting a good opportunity.)

Related Idioms

• Follow one's nose / Follow the scent: To proceed by using instinct or clues.

  • I don't have the address; I'll just have to follow my nose. (I'll proceed based on instinct or clues.)

• The scent is hot: The trail or clue is fresh and strong, suggesting success is near.

  • The detectives believe the scent is hot and an arrest is imminent. (The detectives believe they are very close to a breakthrough.)

Noun

1. any property detected by the olfactory system
2. an odor left in passing by which a person or animal can be traced
3. a distinctive odor that is pleasant

Verb

1. apply perfume to
   • She perfumes herself every day
2. catch the scent of; get wind of
   • The dog nosed out the drugs
3. cause to smell or be smelly