ENGLISH
REFERENCE

nose

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈnoʊz// UK //nˈəʊz// nose General-service Slang

n. the part of your face that you use for breathing and smelling. It sits in the middle of your face above your mouth.

n. the prominent part of the face in humans and other mammals that contains the nostrils and serves as the organ of smell and the main opening for the respiratory system.


SIMPLE

He has a small nose and blue eyes.

CONTEXTUAL

The cold winter air made the tip of her nose turn bright red after only a few minutes outside.

COMPLEX

While the external structure of the nose provides a distinct aesthetic character to the face, its internal cavities are essential for warming and filtering air before it reaches the lungs.

Synonyms
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”).

Usage

Commonly used in idioms such as 'to have a nose for' something, meaning to have a natural talent for finding it.

Idioms30 entries

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