nose

1 of 2

noun

ˈnōz 

1

a

: the part of the face that bears the nostrils and covers the anterior part of the nasal cavity

broadly : this part together with the nasal cavity

b

: the anterior part of the head at the top or end of the muzzle : snout, proboscis

2

a

: the sense of smell : olfaction

b

: aroma, bouquet

3

: the vertebrate olfactory organ

4

a

: the forward end or projection of something

b

: the projecting or working end of a tool

5

: the stem of a boat or its protective metal covering

6

a

: the nose as a symbol of prying or meddling curiosity or interference

b

: a knack for discovery or understanding

a keen nose for absurdity

nose

2 of 2

verb

nosed; nosing

transitive verb

1

: to detect by or as if by smell : scent

2

a

: to push or move with the nose

b

: to move (something, such as a vehicle) ahead slowly or cautiously

nosed my car into the parking space

3

: to touch or rub with the nose : nuzzle

intransitive verb

1

: to use the nose in examining, smelling, or showing affection

2

a

: to search impertinently : pry

b

: poke sense 2a

3

: to move ahead slowly or cautiously

the boat nosed around the bend

4

: to move the forward end in a specified direction

the plane nosed up

5

: to advance into a slight lead

Phrases

on the nose

1

a

: at or to a target point

the bombs landed right on the nose

b(1)

: on target : accurate

(2)

: accurately

2

: to win

—used of horse or dog racing bets

under one's nose

: extremely near to one

the answer was right under our noses

also : brazenly in or as if in one's presence

embezzling funds right under his nose

Synonyms

Noun

• beak
• conk [chiefly British slang]
• honker [slang]
• neb
• nozzle [slang]
• proboscis
• schnoz [slang]
• schnozz
• schnozzle [slang]
• smeller
• snoot
• snout

Verb

• scent
• smell
• sniff
• snuff
• whiff

Examples of nose in a Sentence

Noun

The ball hit me right on the nose.

You need to wipe your nose.

I have a runny nose.

the long nose of the anteater

He got some water up his nose.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

That dog has a good nose.

The whale measures 40 feet from nose to tail.

Verb

The horse nosed my hand.

Some animal must have nosed the lid off the garbage can.

The dog nosed the door open.

The dogs were nosing around in the garbage.

The boat nosed around the bend.

I nosed my car into the parking space.

The car nosed its way into the street.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Hawkeyes then took their first lead later in the period right before Kate Martin got hit in the face by Edwards, resulting in a bloody nose. —CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

Maxim Crane Works had a clean nose last year with OSHA inspections. —Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024

Another officer arrives to help Sinnott handcuff Frankel, who is bleeding from his nose. —Cameron MacDonald, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024

Rats have long reigned in the capital of the most powerful nation – right under the nose of officialdom. —Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024

The nose of the ship, responsible for separating the waves before it, is also called a bow, and is marked for passengers as the FWD, or forward. —Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024

Around the turn of the 13th century B.C.E., the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Horemheb issued an edict stating that both tax extortion and evasion could be punished by removal of the nose and exile. —Kate McMahon, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

But, when the ride returned to its start, Fabio was found with blood gushing out of his nose. —Jason Sheeler, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024

This causes the trigeminal nerve to increase mucus production, leading to a runny nose. —Anthea Levi, Health, 30 Mar. 2024

Verb

The vast majority of EV chargers are placed at the ends of parking spaces so vehicles have to either pull in, nosing the front bumper up to the charger, or reverse back in. —Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024

For years, booking a traditional moving company has meant inviting countless strangers into your home to nose through your belongings, write out itemized lists, and take inventory for each company — and that’s all just to get a quote. —Chris Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024

Unable to nose any farther forward, the agents piled out of the first and third SUV and tried to subdue the crowd. —Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2024

Shares of Netflix nosed up around 0.3% in midmorning trading. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 23 Jan. 2024

Her job involves everything from nosing whiskies (to build up her knowledge for creating both classic and new blends) to helping select casks for some of The Balvenie’s oldest and rarest bottlings. —Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 30 Nov. 2023

Semi trucks were still making deliveries to the plant, slowly nosing forward through the picket. —Dan Kaufman, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023

The Flatiron Building, whose prow has nosed up Broadway across 23rd Street since its completion in 1902, has housed its last office tenant and is going residential, The Real Deal first reported this morning. —Curbed, 26 Oct. 2023

Powerful high pressure to the west should nose into the area. —Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English nosu; akin to Old High German nasa nose, Latin nasus

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1577, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing nose

• (as) plain as the nose on your face
• button nose
• by a nose
• cut off one's nose to spite one's face
• follow one's nose
• get up someone's nose
• have/get one's nose/snout in the trough
• have one's nose in
• have one's nose in the air
• hit it on the nose
• hold one's nose
• keep one's nose clean
• keep one's nose out of
• keep one's nose to the grindstone
• lead someone (around) by the nose
• look down one's nose
• look down one's nose at
• needle-nose pliers
• nose about
• nose around
• nose bag
• nose cone
• nose for
• nose job
• nose out
• nose out of joint
• nose ring
• nose tackle
• nose to tail
• no skin off someone's nose
• one's nose is to the grindstone
• on the nose
• pay through the nose
• powder one's nose
• pug nose
• (right) under someone's nose
• Roman nose
• rub one's nose in
• rub someone's nose in
• stick/poke one's nose in/into
• thumb one's nose
• thumb one's nose at
• turn one's nose up
• turn up one's nose
• under one's nose
• with one's nose in the air

Kids Definition

nose

1 of 2 noun

ˈnōz 

1

a

: the part of the face or head that contains the nostrils and covers the front or outer part of the nasal cavity

also : this part together with the nasal cavity

b

: the front part of the head above or sticking out beyond the jaws

the length of a whale from the tip of the nose to the middle of the tail

2

: the sense of smell

3

: the organ of smell of a vertebrate

4

: something (as a point, edge, or projection) like a nose

the nose of a plane

5

: an ability to discover

a nose for news

nosed

ˈnōzd

adjective

nose

2 of 2 verb

nosed; nosing

1

: to detect by or as if by smell : scent

2

: to push or move with the nose

3

: to touch or rub with the nose : nuzzle

4

: to search especially into other peoples' business : pry

5

: to move ahead slowly or cautiously

the boat nosed around the bend

Medical Definition

nose

noun

ˈnōz 

1

a

: the part of the face that bears the nostrils and covers the anterior part of the nasal cavity

broadly : this part together with the nasal cavity

b

: the anterior part of the head above or projecting beyond the muzzle

2

: the sense of smell : olfaction

3

: olfactory organ