-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
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
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
Smell is strongly tied to emotion and memory, Valentina Parma, PhD, a psychologist who studies human olfaction (the sense of smell) and the assistant director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, tells SELF.
—Lauren Mazzo, SELF, 8 Oct. 2024
Fly olfaction can also inform the next generation of tracking devices designed to find the source of an indoor chemical leak.
—Lizette Ortega, Washington Post, 28 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for olfaction
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near olfaction
Cite this Entry
“Olfaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olfaction. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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
More from Merriam-Webster on olfaction
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about olfaction
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share