scent
n. C / Un. a pleasant smell, like the one from a flower or perfume. It can also mean the trail of smell that an animal leaves behind.
n. a distinctive odor, especially one that is pleasant or fragrant. Often refers to the olfactory trail left by an animal, which can be followed by a predator or a hound.
The sweet scent of roses fills the garden.
The hunting dog picked up the scent of the fox and followed it through the thick woods.
The perfumer spent months balancing the top notes of citrus with a deep, woody scent to create a fragrance that felt both fresh and grounded.
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.