Smelling

smell  (sml)

v. smelled or smelt (smlt), smell·ing, smells

v.tr.

1. To perceive the scent of (something) by means of the olfactory nerves.

2. To sense the presence of by or as if by the olfactory nerves; detect or discover: We smelled trouble ahead. The committee tried to smell out corruption in law enforcement.

v.intr.

1. To use the sense of smell; perceive the scent of something.

2. To have or emit an odor: "The breeze smelled exactly like Vouvrayflowery, with a hint of mothballs underneath" Anne Tyler.

3. To be suggestive; have a touch of something: a cave that smells of terror.

4. To have or emit an unpleasant odor; stink: This closet smells.

5. To appear to be dishonest; suggest evil or corruption.

n.

1. The sense by which odors are perceived; the olfactory sense.

2. That quality of something that may be perceived by the olfactory sense.

3. The act or an instance of smelling.

4. A distinctive enveloping or characterizing quality; an aura or trace: the smell of success.

Idiom:

smell a rat Slang

To suspect that something is wrong.

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[Middle English smellen.]

Synonyms: smell, aroma, odor, scent
These nouns denote a quality that can be perceived by the olfactory sense: the smell of gas; the aroma of frying onions; hospital odors; the scent of pine needles.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	smelling - the act of perceiving the odor of something smell sensing, perception - becoming aware of something via the senses sniff, snuff - sensing an odor by inhaling through the nose
Adj.	1.	smelling - (used with `of' or `with') noticeably odorous; "the hall was redolent of floor wax"; "air redolent with the fumes of beer and whiskey" redolent odorous - having odor or a characteristic odor; "odorous jasmine flowers"; "odorous garbage"; "fresh odorous bread"