# nose

/ˈnoʊz/ (US) · /nˈəʊz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/nose
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. body part

noun · CEFR A1

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

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

- He had a small scar on his nose from a childhood accident.
- The surgeon explained that the structure of the nose consists of both bone and cartilage, which supports the nasal passages.

### 2. front of an object

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- The nose of the airplane was painted with a bright red stripe.
- Engineers redesigned the nose of the high-speed train to improve its aerodynamic profile and reduce noise when entering tunnels.

### 3. sense of smell

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- Dogs have a much better nose for tracking scents than humans do.
- A professional nose in the perfume industry can distinguish between hundreds of different chemical compounds in a single scent.

### 4. smell of wine

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the specific smell of a drink, especially wine.

For teachers: the characteristic aroma or bouquet of a wine or spirit.

- This red wine has a fruity nose with a hint of oak.
- The sommelier noted that the vintage possessed a complex nose, featuring layers of dark cherry and tobacco.

### 5. a narrow margin

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- The horse won the race by a nose in a very exciting finish.
- After a grueling sprint to the finish line, the incumbent candidate won the election by a nose.

### 6. to move forward slowly

verb · CEFR B2

to move a vehicle forward slowly and carefully.

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

- The driver had to nose the car into the busy traffic.
- The captain carefully nosed the massive tanker into the narrow canal, guided by several smaller tugboats.

### 7. to snoop

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to try to find out private information about other people.

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

- I caught my neighbor nosing around my backyard yesterday.
- Journalists were accused of nosing into the celebrity's private medical records to find a headline.

### 8. to defeat narrowly

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

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

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

- She managed to nose out her rival just before the finish line.
- The local team nosed out the defending champions in the final seconds of the game, causing a major upset.

## Examples

- He has a small nose and blue eyes.
- The cold winter air made the tip of her nose turn bright red after only a few minutes outside.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.