ENGLISH
REFERENCE

olfactory

adj.
C1 Advanced US //oʊɫˈfæktɝi// UK //ɒlfˈæktəɹˌi// ol·fac·to·ry

adj. relating to your sense of smell. You use this word when talking about how the nose and brain process different scents.

adj. relating to the sense of smell or the organs involved in smelling. Often used in biological or medical contexts to describe nerves, bulbs, or stimuli.


SIMPLE

The kitchen was filled with a wonderful olfactory delight.

CONTEXTUAL

Dogs have a much more developed olfactory system than humans, allowing them to track scents over long distances.

COMPLEX

The novelist used rich olfactory imagery to transport readers to the damp, spice-filled markets of the ancient port city.

Synonyms
Origin

From Latin olfactus (“an act of smelling; the sense of smell”) + -ory, from olfaciō (“to sniff, smell, scent”) + -tus (action noun suffix).

Usage

Typically used in technical, scientific, or formal descriptive contexts; often precedes nouns like 'system', 'nerve', or 'sense'.

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