olfactory

English

WOTD – 10 November 2008

Etymology

From Latin olfactus (“an act of smelling; the sense of smell”) +‎ -ory, from olfaciō (“to sniff, smell, scent”) +‎ -tus (action noun suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɒlˈfak.tə.ɹi/, /ɒlˈfak.tɹi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɑlˈfæk.təɹ.i/, /oʊlˈfæk.təɹ.i/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

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• Rhymes: -æktəɹi

Adjective

olfactory (not comparable)

1. (relational) Concerning the sense of smell.

Derived terms

• nonolfactory
• olfactoric
• olfactorily
• olfactory bulb
• olfactory capsule
• olfactory lobe
• olfactory nerve
• olfactory organ
• olfactory reference syndrome
• subolfactory

 

Related terms

• olfacto-, olfact-
• olfactometer
• olfactible
• olfaction

Translations

concerning the sense of smell

• Bulgarian: обонятелен (obonjatelen)
• Catalan: olfactiu, olfactori (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 嗅的 (xiùde)

• Czech: čichový (cs) m
• Dutch: olfactorisch (nl)
• Finnish: haju- (fi), olfaktorinen (fi)
• French: olfactif (fr) m
• German: geruchlich (de), olfaktorisch (de)
• Greek: οσφρητικός (el) m (osfritikós)
• Hungarian: szaglószervi, szagló- (hu)
• Indonesian: olfaktori, olfaktoris
• Italian: olfattorio, olfattivo (it)
• Malay: penghiduan, olfaksi, olfaktori
• Polish: węchowy (pl) m
• Portuguese: olfactório, olfatório, olfativo
• Russian: обоня́тельный (ru) (obonjátelʹnyj)
• Spanish: olfativo (es), olfatorio (es)
• Swedish: luktsinnes-

Noun

olfactory (plural olfactories)

1. (anatomy, zootomy) Ellipsis of olfactory organ.
2. (chiefly in the plural) The sense of smell.

References

• “olfactory”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “olfactory”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.