nose
UK: nəʊz | US: noʊz
n. the part of the face or head through which a person or animal smells and breathes
n. the sense of smell
vt. to detect or perceive by smell
vi. to pry or snoop
The word "nose" traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root nas-, meaning "nose" or "smell." This root gave rise to similar words across Indo-European languages (e.g., Latin nasus, Sanskrit nāsā). In Old English, it evolved into nosu, later simplified to "nose." The spelling retained the core morpheme nos-, while the final -e emerged from Middle English orthographic conventions. Functionally, the word expanded from denoting the physical organ to encompassing the sense of smell and related actions (e.g., "to nose around").
She wrinkled her nose at the strong odor.
Dogs have an excellent nose for tracking scents.
The reporter tried to nose out the truth.
Don’t nose into other people’s business.
The wine’s aroma tickled his nose.