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English Idioms :: smell a rat
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smell.html - {v. phr.}, {informal} To be suspicious; feel that something is wrong. * /Every time Tom visits me, one of my ashtrays disappears. I'm beginning to smell a rat./ * /When the policeman saw a light go on in the store at midnight, he smelled a rat./ |
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English Idioms :: smell out
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smell.html - See: FERRET OUT. |
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English Idioms :: smell up
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smell.html - {v.}, {informal} To make a bad smell. * /A skunk smelled up our yard last night./ * /Mr. Brodsky's cigar smelled up the living room./ |
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Traditional English :: smell
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smell.html - n. & v. --n. 1 the faculty of perceiving odours or scents (has a fine sense of smell). 2 the quality in substances that is perceived by this (the smell of thyme; this rose has no smell). 3 an unpleasant odour. 4 the act of inhaling to ascertain smell. --v. (past and past part. smelt or smelled) 1 tr. perceive the smell of; examine by smell (thought I could smell gas). 2 intr. emit odour. 3 intr. seem by smell to be (this milk smells sour). 4 intr. (foll. by of) a be redolent of (smells of fish). b be suggestive of (smells of dishonesty). 5 intr. stink; be rank. 6 tr. perceive as if by smell; detect, discern, suspect (smell a bargain; smell blood). 7 intr. have or use a sense of smell. 8 intr. (foll. by about) sniff or search about. 9 intr. (foll. by at) inhale the smell of. smelling-bottle a small bottle of smelling-salts. smelling-salts ammonium carbonate mixed with scent to be sniffed as a restorative in faintness etc. smell out 1 detect by smell; find out by investigation. 2 (of a dog etc.) hunt out by smell. smell a rat begin to suspect trickery etc. smellable adj. smeller n. smell-less adj. [ME smel(le), prob. f. OE] |
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Traditional English :: smelly
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smell.html - adj. (smellier, smelliest) having a strong or unpleasant smell. |
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English Idioms :: smell a rat
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smell.html - {v. phr.}, {informal} To be suspicious; feel that something is wrong. * /Every time Tom visits me, one of my ashtrays disappears. I'm beginning to smell a rat./ * /When the policeman saw a light go on in the store at midnight, he smelled a rat./ |
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