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olfaction
noun
ol·fac·tion
äl-ˈfak-shən
ōl-
1
: the sense of smell
2
: the act or process of smelling
Examples of olfaction in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Machine olfaction starts with sensors that detect and identify molecules in the air.
—Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 30 May 2024
Connections to the amygdala, a part of the brain responsible for emotions and olfaction, increased as well.
—Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023
Reports of lost taste and smell — often in the absence of the kind of nasal congestion that interferes with olfaction with the common cold — have been circulating for months.
—Greg Miller, Discover Magazine, 19 May 2020
Presumably, then, the art of olfaction can ready our minds for new experiences.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
If olfaction is a gateway to our past lives, then D.S. & Durga’s perfumes are a detour to somewhere else entirely.
—Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 8 Sep. 2023
But a fly can tell — and olfaction researchers have previously overlooked this possibility.
—Dana MacKenzie, Discover Magazine, 20 Mar. 2023
But sit with that for a while: Try to imagine an existence in which scent is no less important than sight, and your very sense of time and self is entangled with olfaction.
—Brandon Keim, Popular Science, 17 Aug. 2023
However, that discovery didn’t tell researchers much about human olfaction because insect olfactory receptors work fundamentally differently from ours.
—Wynne Parry, Quanta Magazine, 1 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'olfaction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near olfaction
Cite this Entry
“Olfaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olfaction. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
olfaction
noun
ol·fac·tion
äl-ˈfak-shən
ōl-
: the sense of smell
also
: the act or process of smelling
Medical Definition
olfaction
noun
ol·fac·tion
äl-ˈfak-shən
ōl-
1
: the sense of smell
2
: the act or process of smelling
More from Merriam-Webster on olfaction
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about olfaction
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