What does smeller mean?
A smeller is primarily someone or something with an acute sense of smell, especially a person or animal whose ability to detect odors is notable. The term can also refer to the nose or another olfactory organ, and, less commonly, to a place, object, or animal that gives off a distinctive smell. In phrases such as "a good smeller" or "a keen smeller," it emphasizes the ability to perceive subtle or easily overlooked odors. A dog trained to locate drugs, missing people, or hidden objects is a familiar example. The word may also be used figuratively or with a slightly informal literary tone when describing something that consistently produces a recognizable scent, such as an old kitchen, a garden, or a particular kind of animal.
nounA smeller is a person or animal with a keen sense of smell, or an organ or part of the body used for smelling. The word can also refer generally to something that emits a noticeable odor.
- A person or animal with a keen sense of smell.
- The organ or part of the body used for smelling, especially a nose.
- Something that emits a noticeable smell.
"The dog is an excellent smeller and could detect the buried treats in minutes."
"The police dog proved to be a remarkably reliable smeller."
"The old cottage was a familiar smeller of woodsmoke and damp earth."
Used for multiple people or animals with a keen sense of smell, or for multiple olfactory organs.
"The rescuers trained several smellers to locate people beneath the rubble."
A smeller can be a nose, a bloodhound, or even a person who knows a suspicious perfume from across the room.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of smeller
The word "smeller" was formed in Middle English by adding the agent suffix "-er" to "smell." Its sense as an organ appears in the same general period, while the meaning "a person who smells well" reflects the older use of "smeller" for someone skilled in detecting odors. It is related to the English verb and noun "smell," which has Old English roots associated with scent and olfaction. The modern word family also includes the adjective "smelly" and the inflected forms "smelled" and "smelling."
Related word forms
How smeller is actually used
The word is fairly uncommon in modern everyday English when meaning a person with a good sense of smell, but it is common in compound phrases such as "a keen smeller" and "a good smeller." As a second sense, it can sound informal or literary when describing an object or place with a characteristic odor.
Easily confused with smeller
A nose is the external facial organ used for smelling, whereas a smeller can refer to that organ, a person who detects odors well, or an animal with a strong sense of smell.
An odor is a smell itself, while a smeller is a person, animal, or organ that perceives or produces smells.