smell out

smell out
verb
1. recognize or detect by or as if by smelling
-

He can smell out trouble

• Syn: ↑sniff out, ↑scent out, ↑nose out
• Entailment: ↑smell
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Somebody ——s somebody

2. become aware of not through the senses but instinctively
-

I sense his hostility

-

i smell trouble

-

smell out corruption

• Syn: ↑smell, ↑sense
• Derivationally related forms: ↑sensible (for: ↑sense), ↑sensitive (for: ↑sense), ↑sense (for: ↑sense)
• Hypernyms: ↑perceive
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Somebody ——s that CLAUSE

* * *

transitive verb
1. : to seek or find as if by smelling : ferret out

its task remained unchanged: to smell out and sweep away ruthlessly all opposition to the dictator — W.C.Bullitt

2. : to detect (as a witch) by divination

* * *

smell out
1. To find out (eg a scandal) by prying
2. To detect by witchcraft (S Afr)
• • •
Main Entry: ↑smell

* * *

smell out [phrasal verb]
smell (something) out or smell out (something) : to find (something) by smelling it

Police have trained the dogs to smell out [=sniff out] drugs.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑smell

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Synonyms:
,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • smell\ out — • ferret out literary • sniff out • smell out v To hunt or drive from hiding; to bring out into the open; search for and find. Jane smelled out the boys secret hiding place in the woods. John ferreted out the answer to the question in the library …   Словарь американских идиом

  • smell out — See: FERRET OUT …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • smell out — See: FERRET OUT …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • smell out — Discover, find out …   New dictionary of synonyms

  • To smell out — Smell Smell (sm[e^]l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Smelled}, {Smelt}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Smelling}.] [OE. smellen, smillen, smullen; cf. LG. smellen, smelen, sm[ o]len, schmelen, to smoke, to reek, D. smeulen to smolder, and E. smolder. Cf. {Smell}, n.] 1 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • smell out — (Roget s IV) v. Syn. find, detect, identify; see discover …   English dictionary for students

  • smell out — discover; fill with stench …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Smell — (sm[e^]l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Smelled}, {Smelt}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Smelling}.] [OE. smellen, smillen, smullen; cf. LG. smellen, smelen, sm[ o]len, schmelen, to smoke, to reek, D. smeulen to smolder, and E. smolder. Cf. {Smell}, n.] 1. To… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • smell — [smel] vt. smelled or [Chiefly Brit.] Brit. smelt, smelling [ME smellen < OE * smyllan < IE base * smel , to burn slowly > SMOLDER: basic sense “to give off smoke”] 1. to be or become aware of by means of the nose and the olfactory… …   English World dictionary

  • smell — smell1 W3S2 [smel] n 1.) the quality that people and animals recognize by using their nose smell of ▪ The air was filled with the smell of flowers. sweet/delicious smell ▪ There s a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. unpleasant/bad/acrid… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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