scent
SENT
/sent/
A distinctive smell, especially one that is pleasant; a trail indicated by the characteristic smell of an animal.
In the context of dogs, it refers to the chemical trail left behind by living things, which canines can track with incredible accuracy.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Latin 'sentire', meaning 'to feel, perceive, or sense'. In Middle English, it was spelled 'sent'. In the 17th century, scribes mistakenly added the 'c' to make it look like words of classical origin like 'science' and 'scythe', giving us the modern spelling.
Word relationships
- aroma: 'Aroma' is typically used for pleasant food, coffee, or spices, while 'scent' is more general and often refers to nature, perfume, or animal trails.
- odor: 'Odor' is a neutral or slightly negative scientific term for a smell, whereas 'scent' is usually neutral or pleasant.
- stench: A highly offensive, foul, and lingering smell.
Commonly confused with
- cent: 'Cent' is a unit of currency, homophonic with 'scent' but completely unrelated in meaning.
- sent: 'Sent' is the past tense of the verb 'send', homophonic with 'scent'.
Word family
- scented (adjective): Having a pleasant or distinctive smell.
- scentless (adjective): Having no smell.
Collocations
- pick up a scent
- follow a scent
- faint scent
- scent trail
Idioms & expressions
- on the scent of (close to discovering or finding something)
Example sentences
- "The bloodhound put its nose to the damp earth, instantly catching the scent of the missing hiker." A tracking dog at work
- "The sweet scent of lavender filled the warm summer evening air." Describing a garden
Memory hook
Your 'scent' is something you 'sense' with your nose. Scent = Sense. Smell trail to sense
When not to use
Do not use 'scent' to describe strong, foul, or offensive odors; use 'stench', 'odor', or 'smell' instead.
Fun facts
- A dog's sense of smell is estimated to be 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than a human's, allowing them to detect some substances in parts per trillion.
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