olfactory

adjective

ol·​fac·​to·​ry äl-ˈfak-t(ə-)rē  ōl- 

: of or relating to the sense of smell

olfactory receptors

olfactory sensations

olfactorily

äl-ˈfak-t(ə-)rə-lē 

ōl-

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 film centers on Hilarion Zabala, whose mysterious olfactory problem has recurred. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Aug. 2024

Photo : Kilian Kilian Paris Vodka on the Rocks | Accord: Vodka Kilian is one of the few who could interpret the olfactory idea of vodka—a polarizing, alcohol-heavy scent—into a chic and very wearable fragrance. —Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2024

In the images and short video photographed and directed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Tatum is seen as the modern version of the mythological Greek god of love that lends the name to the olfactory collection. —Sandra Salibian, WWD, 6 Aug. 2024

Extreme expansion of the olfactory receptor gene repertoire in African elephants and evolutionary dynamics of orthologous gene groups in 13 placental mammals Current Biology. —Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2024

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

Phrases Containing olfactory

• olfactory bulb
• olfactory lobe
• olfactory nerve

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Kids Definition

olfactory

adjective

ol·​fac·​to·​ry äl-ˈfak-t(ə-)rē 

ōl-

: of, relating to, or concerned with the sense of smell

Medical Definition

olfactory

adjective

ol·​fac·​to·​ry äl-ˈfak-t(ə-)rē  ōl- 

: of, relating to, or connected with the sense of smell