King James Bible Dictionary

SMELL, verb transitive pret and participle passive smelled, smelt. [I have not found this word in any other language.] TO perceive by the nose, or by the olfactory nerves; to have a sensation excited in certain organs of the nose by particular qualities of a body, which are transmitted in fine particles, often form a distance; as, to smell a rose; to smell perfumes.

TO smell OUT, is a low phrase signifying to find out by sagacity.

TO smell A RAT, is a low phrase signifying to suspect strongly.

SMELL, verb intransitive

1. To affect the olfactory nerves; to have an odor or particualr scent; followed by of; as to smell of smoke; to smell of musk.

2. To have a particular tincuture or smack or any quality; as, a report smells of calumny. [Not elegant.]

3. To practice smelling. Exodus 30:38.

4. To exercise sagacity.

SMELL, noun

1. The sense of faculty by which through the instrumentally of the olfactory nerves; or the faculty of perceiving by the organs of the nose; one of the five senses. In some species of beasts, the smell is remark able acute, particularly in the canine species.

2. Scent; odor; the quality of bodies which affects the olfactory organs; as the smell of mint; the smell of geranium. The sweetest smell in the air is that of the white double violet.

SMELL'ED, SMELT, preterit tense and participle passive of smell.

SMELL'ER, noun One that smells.

SMELL'FEAST, noun [smell and feast.] One that is apt to find and frequent good tables; an epicure; a parasite.