What is the Latin word for smell?

The usual Latin words for “smell” are odōrātiō, odōror, odor; also nīdor, anhēlitus, taeter. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“smell” in Latin

odōrātiōthe action of smelling; the sense of smell odōrorto smell, examine by smelling; to search out, trace out, investigate odorA smell, perfume, stench.; Inkling, suggestion.nīdorthe steam or smell from roasting, burning or boiling (especially animals)anhēlituspanting, puffing (difficulty in breathing); breath, exhalation, vapour; gasp taeterfoul, noisome, disgusting (smell); offensive, revolting, foul; shocking, hideous, loathsome fētorstench, stink, bad smell, fetidness olfaciōto smell, scent; to cause to smell of anything olfactōto smell holusvegetable; greens

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

smell s.

Sense of smelling, odoratio: odoratus (☞ olfactus, both for odoratus and for odor, is not found in classicalprose).

Scent, odor (general term): nidor (κνίσσα, of roast flesh and fat things prepared on the fire): anhelitus (of spirits). A bad smell, odor malus or teter; odor foetidus; foetor (a stench): a pleasant or agreeable smell, odor suavis; suavitas odoris: a strong, penetrating smell, odor gravis: to take a smell, odore imbui (Vid: Hor., Ep., 1, 2, 69: ☞ odorem ducere or ad se ducere is not Latin); alieno odore infici (after Plin., 15, 3, 4): to have or emit a smell, odorem habere, praestare, emittere (☞ poetical, spargere, spirare, diffundere): to have or emit a good, agreeable smell, bene or jucunde olere; a bad, disagreeable smell, male olere, foetere: to have the smell of anything, olere or redolere aliquid: a thing loses its smell, alicujus rei odor non permanet integer (after Col., 10, 49, 3): without smell, that has no smell, *odoratu or odoris sensu carens (that has not the sense of smell); odore carens, ex aliqua re odor non afflatur or odores non afflantur (that yields no smell).

smell v.

Transitively, olfacere: olfactare (to smell anything; olfactare also = to try or examine by smelling): odorari (to try or examine by smelling): ad nares admovere (to hold to the nose for the purpose of smelling; e.g., fasciculum florum). ImPROP., To smell out anything, quodam odore suspicionis aliquid sentire (Cic.).

Intransitively, olere (to have a scent; especially a bad scent): fragrare (to smell sweetly): redolere (to have a strong smell, good or bad): perolere (to have a strong, bad smell). To smell sweetly, bene or jucunde olere (Cic.); suavem odorem reddere (Plin.): the flowers smell sweetly, odores e floribus afflantur: to smell badly, male olere; reddere foetorem.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for smell?: The usual Latin words for “smell” are odōrātiō, odōror, odor; also nīdor, anhēlitus, taeter. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.