Definition of 'nose'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present
tense noses
, present participle nosing
, past tense, past participle nosed
1. countable noun [oft poss NOUN]
2. countable noun [oft poss NOUN]
4. singular noun [usu by a N]
5. verb
If a vehicle noses in a certain
direction or if you nose it there, you move it slowly and carefully in that direction.
6. See also
hard-nosed,
toffee-nosed
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
See
get up sb's nose
13.
14.
15.
17.
See
nose to tail
18.
19.
20.
See
under sb's nose
Phrasal verbs:
See
nose around
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
nose
Word Frequency
nose in British English
noun
1.
the
organ of
smell and
entrance to the
respiratory
tract, consisting of a
prominent
structure
divided into two hair-lined
air
passages by a
median
septum
▶ Related adjectives: nasal, rhinal2.
3. another word for
bouquet (sense 2)
4.
instinctive
skill or
facility, esp in
discovering things (
sometimes in the phrase follow one's nose)
she had a nose for good news stories
5. Also called: noser
a person
employed by a
distillery or other alcohol-producing
industry to
test the quality of the
product by smell
15.
nose to tail
16.
on the nose
23.
under one's nose
verb
26.
to smell or sniff (
wine, etc)
28.
to move or cause to move forwards slowly and carefully
the car nosed along the cliff top
we nosed the car into the garage
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
noseless (ˈnoseless) adjective
noselike (ˈnoseˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
Old English nosu; related to Old Frisian nose, Norwegian nosa to smell and nus smell
Word Frequency
nose in American English
noun
1.
2.
3.
the sense of smell
6.
verb transitiveWord forms: nosed or ˈnosing
9.
to discover or perceive by or as if by the sense of smell
10.
to touch or rub with the nose
12.
to make or push (a way, etc.) cautiously or slowly with the front forward
the ship nosed its way into the harbor
verb intransitive
13.
to smell; sniff
14.
to pry inquisitively
15.
to move cautiously or slowly with the front end forward
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME < OE nosu, akin to Ger nase, orig. a dual, meaning “the two nostrils” < IE base *nas-, nostril > Sans nāsā, the nose, lit., pair of nostrils, L nasus, nose & naris (pl. nares), nostril
Examples of 'nose' in a sentence
nose
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
Read more…
Quotations
Give me a man with a good
allowance of nose
Word lists with
nose
parts of an aircraft,
parts of an aircraftQuick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
Which part of an aircraft am I?
the duct attached to the rear of a gas turbine through which the exhaust gases are discharged, esp one fitted to an aircraft engine
Which part of an aircraft am I?
an aircraft control surface that combines the functions of an elevator and aileron, usually fitted to tailless or delta-wing aircraft
Which part of an aircraft am I?
a flap hinged to the trailing edge of an aircraft wing to provide lateral control, as in a bank or roll
Which part of an aircraft am I?
the rear edge of a propeller blade or aerofoil
Which part of an aircraft am I?
a part of military aircraft where the bombs are stored
Your score:
More idioms containing
nose
Trends of
nose
View usage for:
In other languages
nose
British English: nose
/nəʊz/ NOUN
Your nose is the part of your face which sticks out above your mouth. You use it for smelling and breathing.
She wiped her nose with a tissue.
- American English: nose
- Arabic: أَنْفٌ
- Brazilian Portuguese: nariz
- Chinese: 鼻
- Croatian: nos
- Czech: nos
- Danish: næse
- Dutch: neus
- European Spanish: nariz
- Finnish: nenä
- French: nez
- German: Nase
- Greek: μύτη
- Italian: naso
- Japanese: 鼻
- Korean: 코
- Norwegian: nese
- Polish: nos
- European Portuguese: nariz
- Romanian: nas
- Russian: нос
- Latin American Spanish: nariz
- Swedish: näsa
- Thai: จมูก
- Turkish: burun
- Ukrainian: ніс
- Vietnamese: mũi
British English: nose VERB
If a vehicle noses in a certain direction or if you nose it there, you move it slowly and carefully in that direction.
He could not see the driver as the car nosed forward.
Nearby words of
nose
Source
Definition of nose from the
Collins English Dictionary
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
allowed or aloud?
Which version is correct?
role or roll?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
role
roll
Both sides have a to play.
broach or brooch?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
brooch
broach
They both wore large emerald es.
born or borne?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
borne
born
The injured were away in ambulances.
poor or pore?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
poor
pore
I feel sorry for the child.
Your score:
Word of the day
cli-fi
a genre of science-fiction concerned with the effects of climate change
Latest Word Submissions
New hope for the New Year
New Year’s Eve is traditionally when we fix our gaze firmly forward in hope, having cast a backward glance at the year just ended. Which, despite the negatives, saw a healthy increase in good-neighbourliness and kindness as demonstrated, for instance, by caremongering.
Read more
Food for thought this Christmas
I don’t know about you, but I’m already salivating at the prospect of Christmas food. The first pangs start early in December with the nostalgia rush I get upon spotting dinky net bags of mixed nuts for sale.
Read more
Eight Gaelic words from the Collins English Dictionary
English is a language that has seen its vocabulary shaped and influenced by many neighbouring tongues from across the globe over the course of time…including some that are a bit closer to home.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
beach or beech?
Which version is correct?
populace or populous?
Which version is correct?
who's or whose?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
Who's
Whose
there?
tea or tee?
Which version is correct?
berth or birth?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
berth
birth
The yacht has only one .
Your score: