olfactory

adjective

ol·​fac·​to·​ry äl-ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce olfactory (audio) ōl- How to pronounce olfactory (audio)
: of or relating to the sense of smell
olfactory receptors
olfactory sensations
olfactorily adverb

Did you know?

No, olfactory is not a noun meaning “a place that makes scents”; for that, you want perfumery, which makes more sense. Olfactory is instead an adjective used to describe things related to one’s sense of smell, that which lets you detect fruit with your snoot, a leek with your beak, Shiraz with your schnozz. Olfactory comes from the Latin word olfacere (“to smell”), which in turn combines two verbs, olēre (“to give off a smell”) and facere (“to do”). It often appears in scientific contexts (as in “olfactory nerves,” the nerves that pass from the nose to the brain and contain the receptors that make smelling possible), but it is occasionally used in less technical writing and speech. The pleasant smell of hot mulled cider, for example, might be considered an “olfactory delight,” depending on the spices and your own sensibilities, of course. As they say, the nose knows.

Examples of olfactory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The new fragrance oil comes in a 10-millimeter, travel-friendly rollerball bottle and is an olfactory delight thanks to 12 musks: lily of the valley, ambergris, oakmoss and amber woods, among them. Marques Harper, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Many people know the olfactory assault of acrylates from nail salons, since some types of nail polish and nail products use them. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Many scents stick out in my mind and are part of my life, such as my childhood garden in Normandy and the Corsican underbrush, which gave me my first olfactory shock. Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 The team of nine researchers investigated the olfactory symbiosis between primrose, a wildflower that blooms only at night, and hawk moths, nocturnal insect pollinators that are drawn to the flowers’ aroma. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024 When exposed to infrared laser light, the nanoparticles then emitted chemicals to boost brain activity tied to a locust’s olfactory senses. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Feb. 2024 Her research focuses on shark nose structure, how that impacts water flow through the nose, and how that water flow might affect their olfactory sensitivity. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 6 July 2023 Connectivity between the anterior insula and amygdala, a region that is responsible for emotional processing and also part of the olfactory network, increased as well. Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 21 Dec. 2023 And for the very first time, researchers visualized in three dimensions how an olfactory receptor grabs onto an odor molecule — a significant step in understanding how the nose and brain can intercept airborne chemicals and gain crucial sensory information about the environment. Quanta Magazine, 19 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'olfactory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin olfactorius, from olfacere to smell, from olēre to smell + facere to do — more at odor, do

First Known Use

circa 1658, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of olfactory was circa 1658

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Dictionary Entries Near olfactory

Cite this Entry

“Olfactory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olfactory. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

olfactory

adjective
ol·​fac·​to·​ry äl-ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce olfactory (audio)
ōl-
: of, relating to, or concerned with the sense of smell

Medical Definition

olfactory

adjective
ol·​fac·​to·​ry äl-ˈfak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce olfactory (audio) ōl- How to pronounce olfactory (audio)
: of, relating to, or connected with the sense of smell

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