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

Enter a fascinating predator-prey relationship involving olfaction between sharks and cephalopods (like cuttlefish). —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025

The work on olfaction is a tiny part of a large research program, much of it headed by Majid, that has overturned the scientific consensus on how humans talk about the senses. —Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024

Progress in machine olfaction started picking up steam after the DREAM challenge concluded. —Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 30 May 2024

Prior studies have also looked at the relationship between olfaction and breathing––but many of these have only been conducted in animals or in people who lost their smell because of viral infections or other more common causes of anosmia. —Hannah Docter-Loeb, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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