What does "scent" mean?

1. (a pleasant smell) a pleasant or distinctive smell, especially one from a plant or a perfume. 2. (an animal's trail) the smell left behind by an animal or person that others can follow. 3. (the sense of smell) the natural ability to smell things. 4. (to detect a smell) to notice a smell using your nose. 5. (to add a smell to) to give something a pleasant smell. 6. (to suspect something) to start to believe that something is happening or about to happen.

scent

n. · v.

US //ˈsɛnt// UK //sˈɛnt// scent

1 a pleasant smell (n.)
B1 Intermediate

a pleasant or distinctive smell, especially one from a plant or a perfume.

a distinctive, typically pleasant odour, often associated with flowers, perfumes, or natural environments.

Example

The sweet scent of roses filled the garden after the rain.

Example

The perfumer spent months balancing the top notes to ensure the scent remained light yet sophisticated throughout the day.
- stink
- stench
2 an animal's trail (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the smell left behind by an animal or person that others can follow.

the chemical trail or odour left by an animal, used by predators or tracking dogs to locate their quarry.

Example

The hunting dogs picked up the scent of the fox near the river.

Example

The bloodhound followed the cold scent through the dense underbrush, eventually leading the search party to the edge of the abandoned campsite.
- trail
- track

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3 the sense of smell (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal Science

the natural ability to smell things.

the faculty or power of perceiving odours; the olfactory sense.

Example

Dogs have a much stronger sense of scent than humans do.

Example

The predator relies primarily on its acute scent to navigate the forest floor in total darkness.
- olfaction
4 to detect a smell (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to notice a smell using your nose.

to perceive or detect by means of the olfactory organs; to catch the odour of.

Example

The cat scented a mouse hiding behind the wooden boxes.

Example

The deer suddenly stopped grazing, having scented a predator on the breeze blowing from the north.
5 to add a smell to (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to give something a pleasant smell.

to imbue or perfume something with a specific fragrance.

Example

She likes to use candles that are scented with vanilla and cinnamon.

Example

The manufacturer decided to scent the laundry detergent with lavender to appeal to customers seeking a calming household environment.
- perfume
- fragrance
6 to suspect something (v.)
C1 Advanced Literary

to start to believe that something is happening or about to happen.

to sense or suspect the presence or imminence of something through intuition rather than direct evidence.

Example

The reporters scented a scandal when the politician suddenly resigned.

Example

The investors scented a bargain as the company's stock price plummeted despite its strong underlying assets.

Origin

From Middle English sent (noun) and senten (verb), from Old French sentir (“to feel, perceive, smell, sense”), from Latin sentīre (“to feel, sense”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to feel”), and thus related to Saterland Frisian Sin (“sense”), West Frisian sin (“sense”), Dutch zin (“sense, meaning”), Low German Sinn (“sense”), Luxembourgish Sënn (“sense, perception”), German Sinn (“sense”). The -c- appeared in the 17th century, possibly by influence of ascent, descent, etc., or by influence of science.

Word family

Nounscent
Adjectivescented