olfactory
adjective
ōl-
Did you know?
No, olfactory is not a noun meaning “a place that makes scents”; for that, you want perfumery, which makes more sense. Olfactory is instead an adjective used to describe things related to one’s sense of smell, that which lets you detect fruit with your snoot, a leek with your beak, Shiraz with your schnozz. Olfactory comes from the Latin word olfacere (“to smell”), which in turn combines two verbs, olēre (“to give off a smell”) and facere (“to do”). It often appears in scientific contexts (as in “olfactory nerves,” the nerves that pass from the nose to the brain and contain the receptors that make smelling possible), but it is occasionally used in less technical writing and speech. The pleasant smell of hot mulled cider, for example, might be considered an “olfactory delight,” depending on the spices and your own sensibilities, of course. As they say, the nose knows.
Examples of olfactory in a Sentence
Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2024
This intricate connection is rooted in the anatomy of our brains within the olfactory system that sits near the brain’s region responsible for emotion and memory.
—Dr. Brittany Chambers, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
What at first was perceived as a threat suddenly transformed into a fascinating object worthy of the most thorough investigation, so harmless as to allow for tactile and olfactory inspection.
—Susana Monsó, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024
The limited edition collection introduces three delectable candles inspired by the gourmet delights served at Café Verlet, promising an immersive olfactory experience reminiscent of a Parisian café.
—Zahra Campbell-Avenell, refinery29.com, 1 Apr. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Olfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olfactory. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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olfactory
adjective
Medical Definition
olfactory
adjective
ōl-
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