Forms: α. 2–7 smel (3 smeal, 4 smeol), 3–6 smelle, 4– smell. β. 2–4 smul, 4 smil, smyl, 5–6 smyll. [Related to SMELL v. The OE. equivalent is stenc STENCH.]
1. The sense of which the nose is the organ; the faculty of smelling. Now usually in sense, organ, etc., of smell.
(a) c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 183. Hie … binimeð þe eien here sene,… muð here smel.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 104. Smel of neose is þe ueorðe of þe vif wittes.
1567. Maplet, Gr. Forest, 106. He is not onely of most swift pace, but also of smell.
1599. Davies, Immort. Soul, XVII. i. (1714), 72. In the Nostrils she doth use the Smell.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 35. He who hath a quicke smell, is troubled with more stinkes, then he is refreshed with sweet odours.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 44. Wild Thyme and Sav’ry … Sweet to the Taste, and fragrant to the Smell.
1712–3. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 3 Jan. I have no smell yet, but my cold something better.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 317. He stops to examine, by his smell,… the emanations that may come either from his enemy or his prey.
1805. A. Duncan, Mar. Chron., III. 145. A certain brackish flavor, offensive both to the taste and smell.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VII. 324. Smell was impaired on the side of the lesion.
(b) 1710. J. Clarke, trans. Rohault’s Nat. Philos. (1729), I. 179. The Power of exciting the Sensation of Smell in us.
1851. Carpenter, Man. Phys. (ed. 2), 549. The lower Mammalia, in which the organ of smell is highly developed.
1872. Huxley, Physiol., viii. 194. The organ of the sense of SMELL is the delicate mucous membrane which lines a part of the nasal cavities.
1900. Pollok & Thom, Sports Burma, ii. 40. Elephants have a very keen sense of smell and of hearing, and so they must be approached up wind.
2. That property of things which affects the olfactory organ, whether agreeably or otherwise; odor, perfume, aroma; stench, stink.
α. c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 53. Þurh þe sweote smel of þe chese he bicherreð monie mus to þe stoke.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 747, in O. E. Misc. Ut of his ðrote cumeð a smel.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 1588. Swiðe swote smeal com anan þrefter.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1014. Flours þar es wit suete smelles.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., II. 114. Þe hous was fillid of smel of þe oynement.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xviii. 84. Þe water chaungez diuersely his sauour and his smell.
c. 1440. Alph. Tales, 96. Sownd of watir rynyng, & syngyng of burdis, and gude smell of flowris.
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 33. Fragrant, all full of fresche odour fynest of smell.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 90. Muske though it be sweet in ye smel, is sowre in the smacke.
1617. Moryson, Itin., I. 5. The streets are broad, but very filthy and full of ill smels.
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 379. The Silvan Lodge … that like Pomona’s Arbour smil’d With flourets dec’t and fragrant smells.
1747. Tricks of Town laid open (ed. 3), 19. He’s [a sot’s] distinguishable from the rest of his Species, both by his Smell, Garb, Shape, and Aspect; you may discern him by his dirty Hands and Face, his foul Linen, sore Eyes, stinking Breath, and twenty other Badges of his Character, which he constantly carries about him.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), II. 184. As smells are often rendered agreeable by habit, so also tastes may be.
1847. Helps, Friends in C., I. iii. 33. There was such a rich smell of pines.
1885. Law Times, LXXIX. 74/2. There was a nasty smell about the premises.
β. c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 99. On þe holi fleis bileueð þe shap and hiu and smul of ouelete, and on þe holi blod hew and smul of win.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 8. A suote smul þare cam of heom þat smelde in-to al þat lond.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 1009. Hii deieþ þoru smul of þe lond.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 137. Þe smyl þerof slouȝ boþe bestes and foules.
1475. Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.), 70. The herbers of so soote smyllis.
b. An aromatic substance, or the use of this. rare.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Golden Bk. M. Aurel. (1535), Dd ij b. The vices that they brought [from Asia] to Rome:… The patritiens bearyng Measques, the Plebeyens usynge smelles.
1697. Phil. Trans., XIX. 480. All Methods of Cure in the Paroxysm [of apoplexy], are ridiculous and useless, except Smells, and Blooding in the Jugular.
3. fig. a. A trace, suggestion or tinge of something. Also without article, or with adj.
c. 1475. Henryson, Orpheus & Eurydice, 25. Off forebearis thay tuke tarage and smell.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 140. This saiyng hath scacely any smelle or sauour of Diogenes, although he beareth the name of it.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 151. To haue a smack and smel of auncient Latium.
1617. Hieron, Wks., 129. There is with Thee not so much as any smell or shadow of iniustice.
a. 1688. Bunyan, Saints’ Privilege, Wks. 1855, I. 669. Without the least smell or tang of imperfection.
1702. S. Sewall, Diary (1882), III. 398. Mrs. Thacher … troubled at her Marriage to Mr. Kemp,… some smell of Relation between them.
1882. Nature, XXVI. 59. The methods have a German ‘smell.’
b. That quality by which anything is felt or suspected to be near at hand.
1691. J. Norris, Pract. Disc., 36. They … won’t so much as come within the Smell of Danger.
1865. Kingsley, Herew., xxx. My spirit likes the smell of gold as well as yours.
4. An act of smelling; a sniff. Also fig.
c. 1560. T. Ingelend, Disobedient Child (Percy Soc.), 16. He hath of knaverye tooke such a smell. Ibid., 45. For after that I had taken a smell Of their good wyll and fervent love.
1706. E. Ward, Wooden World Diss. (1708), 16. So many hundred poor Souls, that would reckon it a Blessing to have but one savory Smell at his Flesh-pots.
1817. Scott, Lett., in Lockhart (1837), IV. ii. 66. What do you think Constable would give for a smell of it?
1878. J. S. Campion, On Frontier (ed. 2), 25–6. Whisky-poker, a harmless non-gambling game, in which the winner gets a drink and the losers a smell at the cork of the bottle.
5. attrib., as smell-reach, -sense; smell-trap, a trap to intercept and carry off bad smells.
a. 1652. Brome, Mad Couple well match’d, IV. i. (1654), F ij b. But doe you here use your wit, out of the smell-reach of your Lords perfum’d Gloves, and I shall take you by the Nose.
1851. Kingsley, Yeast, vi. 84. Among high art and painted glass, spade farms, and model smell-traps.
1887. G. Sigerson, in Pall Mall Gaz., 10 Aug., 5/1. A guardian affected by anosmia, or absence of the smell-sense.
