Definition of 'nose'

Word Frequency

nose

(noʊz )

Word forms: noses, nosing, nosed

1. countable 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.

Synonyms: snout, bill, beak [slang], hooter [slang] More Synonyms of nose

2. countable noun

The nose of a vehicle such as an airplane or a boat is the front part of it.

They went over to the airplane and stood near its nose.

3. countable noun

You can refer to your sense of smell as your nose.

The river that runs through Middlesbrough became ugly on the eye and hard on the nose.

4. transitive verb/intransitive 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.

A motorboat nosed out of the mist and nudged into the branches of a tree.

See to keep your nose clean

See to follow your nose

See follow one's nose

See have a nose for sth

See to look down your nose at someone

10.

See to pay through the nose

11.

See to poke your nose into something

12.

See to rub someone's nose in it

13.

See turn up one's nose at sth

14.

See under sb's nose

15.

See nose to tail

16. to put someone's nose out of joint

Phrasal verbs:

See nose around

More Synonyms of nose

Video: pronunciation of
nose

nose in American English

(noʊz )

noun

the part of the human face between the mouth and the eyes, having two openings and cavities behind them for breathing and smelling

the part that corresponds to this in animals; snout, muzzle, etc.

the sense of smell

the overall smell of a wine; bouquet

the power of tracking or perceiving by or as if by scent

a nose for news

anything resembling a nose in shape or position; projecting or foremost part, as a nozzle, spout, prow of a ship, front of an airplane, etc.

the nose regarded as a symbol of prying or meddling

to poke one's nose into another's affairs

8. Slang

a police spy or informer

verb transitiveWord forms: nosed or ˈnosing

to discover or perceive by or as if by the sense of smell

10.

to touch or rub with the nose

11.

to push with the nose

with aside, open, etc.

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:

by a nose

count noses

cut off one's nose to spite one's face

follow one's nose

have one's nose out of joint

lead by the nose

look down one's nose at

put someone's nose out of joint

rub someone's nose in

turn up one's nose at

under one's (very) nose

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

Word Frequency

nose in British English

(nəʊz )

noun

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, rhinal

the sense of smell itself: in hounds and other animals, the ability to follow trails by scent (esp in the phrases a good nose, a bad nose)

3. another word for bouquet (sense 2)

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

any part regarded as resembling a nose in form or function, such as a nozzle or spout

the forward part of a vehicle, aircraft, etc, esp the front end of an aircraft

narrow margin of victory (in the phrase ( win) by a nose)

9. See cut off one's nose to spite one's face

10. See get up someone's nose

11. See keep one's nose clean

12. See keep one's nose to the grindstone

13. See lead someone by the nose

14. See look down one's nose at

15. See nose to tail

16. See on the nose

17. See pay through the nose

18. See poke one's nose into

19. See put someone's nose out of joint

20. See rub someone's nose in it

21. See see no further than one's nose

22. See turn up one's nose

23. See under one's nose

24. See with one's nose in the air

verb

25. (transitive)

(esp of horses, dogs, etc) to rub, touch, or sniff with the nose; nuzzle

26.

to smell or sniff ( wine, etc)

27. (intr; usually foll by after or for)

to search (for) by or as if by scent

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

29. (intr; foll by into, around, about, etc)

to pry or snoop (into) or meddle (in)

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

Examples of 'nose' in a sentence
nose

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

His perfect job was right under his nose all along.His image transformation has long given rise to rumours that he has had a nose job.If the company keeps its nose clean they should recover further.All that house dust can get right up your nose.The world would be a happier place if these footballers stopped rubbing our noses in their obscene wealth.We had to really work hard then show a bit of quality at the end to get our noses in front.Dec said:'We are going to rub his nose in a little bit.This is another clear case of how easy it is to miss something right under your nose.I'VE been having problems with my nose for the past few months.She messed around trying to touch her nose with her tongue.

Quotations

Give me a man with a good allowance of noseNapoleon Bonaparte

Word lists with
nose

parts of an aircraft, parts of an aircraft

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

Score: 0 / 5