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REFERENCE

nose

n. · v.
US //ˈnoʊz// UK //nˈəʊz// nose
  1. 1 body part (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    the part of the face above the mouth that you use for breathing and smelling.

    the prominent part of the face in humans and other mammals that houses the nostrils and the olfactory system.

    Example

    He had a small scar on his nose from a childhood accident.

    Example

    The surgeon explained that the structure of the nose consists of both bone and cartilage, which supports the nasal passages.
  2. 2 front of an object (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the front part of a vehicle, such as a plane, ship, or car.

    the forward-most part of a vehicle, aircraft, or projectile.

    Example

    The nose of the airplane was painted with a bright red stripe.

    Example

    Engineers redesigned the nose of the high-speed train to improve its aerodynamic profile and reduce noise when entering tunnels.
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  1. 3 sense of smell (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the ability to smell things, or a person with a very good sense of smell.

    the faculty of olfaction; also used metonymically for a person, such as a perfumer, with a highly developed sense of smell.

    Example

    Dogs have a much better nose for tracking scents than humans do.

    Example

    A professional nose in the perfume industry can distinguish between hundreds of different chemical compounds in a single scent.
  2. 4 smell of wine (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    the specific smell of a drink, especially wine.

    the characteristic aroma or bouquet of a wine or spirit.

    Example

    This red wine has a fruity nose with a hint of oak.

    Example

    The sommelier noted that the vintage possessed a complex nose, featuring layers of dark cherry and tobacco.
  3. 5 a narrow margin (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

    a very small distance, often used to describe winning a race.

    the length of a horse's nose, used as a measure of a very narrow margin of victory in a contest.

    Example

    The horse won the race by a nose in a very exciting finish.

    Example

    After a grueling sprint to the finish line, the incumbent candidate won the election by a nose.
  4. 6 to move forward slowly (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to move a vehicle forward slowly and carefully.

    to advance a vehicle or vessel cautiously by moving the front end forward.

    Example

    The driver had to nose the car into the busy traffic.

    Example

    The captain carefully nosed the massive tanker into the narrow canal, guided by several smaller tugboats.
  5. 7 to snoop (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to try to find out private information about other people.

    to pry or snoop into the private affairs of others; often used with 'around'.

    Example

    I caught my neighbor nosing around my backyard yesterday.

    Example

    Journalists were accused of nosing into the celebrity's private medical records to find a headline.
  6. 8 to defeat narrowly (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Sport

    to beat someone in a competition by a very small amount.

    to defeat a competitor by a very narrow margin; frequently used in the phrasal form 'nose out'.

    Example

    She managed to nose out her rival just before the finish line.

    Example

    The local team nosed out the defending champions in the final seconds of the game, causing a major upset.
    • edge out
    • narrowly beat
Origin

From Middle English nose, from Old English nosu, from Proto-West Germanic nosu, variant of nasō, old dual from Proto-Indo-European néh₂s- ~ nh₂es- (“nose, nostril”). See also Saterland Frisian Noose, West Frisian noas, Dutch neus, Swedish nos, Norwegian nos (“snout”), Low German Nääs, German Nase, Swedish näsa, Norwegian nese, Danish næse (“nose”); also Latin nāris (“nostril”), nāsus (“nose”), Lithuanian nósis, Russian нос (nos), Sanskrit नासा (nā́sā, “nostrils”).

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