smell
English
/smɛl/
noun
Definitions
- A sensation, pleasant or unpleasant, detected by inhaling air (or, the case of water-breathing animals, water) carrying airborne molecules of a substance.
- (physiology) The sense that detects odours.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English smellen inherited from Old English *smyllan inherited from *smallijan (smoulder, burn, glow, fume) derived from Proto-Indo-European *smel- (tar, burn, smoke, pitch, smoulder) inherited from Middle English smel.
Origin
Middle English
smel
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- -o- English
- besmell English
- foresmell English
- fungus English
- meter English
- outsmell English
- smell-o-meter English
- smell-smock English
- smellable English
- smeller English
- smellest English
- smelleth English
- smellfungus English
- smellily English
- smelliness English
- smelly English
- smock English
- unsmelly English
- smeulen Dutch, Flemish
- смола́ Russian
- смоловарня Russian
- смолокурня Russian
- смольный Russian
- смоляной Russian
- *smel- Proto-Indo-European
- *smellan Old English
- *smyllan Old English
- smel Middle English
- smellen Middle English
- smolder Middle English
- *smola Proto-Slavic
- smōlen Middle Dutch
- *smallijan gmw-pro
- *smulen Old Dutch
- *smolian Old Saxon
- *smullian Old Saxon
- *smela Old Frisian
- smel Tok Pisin
- smelim Tok Pisin
- smeele Saterland Frisian
- smullen Low German
- smölen Low German
- smeri Sranan Tongo