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Definition of scent verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

scent

verb
 
/sent/
 
/sent/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they scent
 
/sent/
 
/sent/
he / she / it scents
 
/sents/
 
/sents/
past simple scented
 
/ˈsentɪd/
 
/ˈsentɪd/
past participle scented
 
/ˈsentɪd/
 
/ˈsentɪd/
-ing form scenting
 
/ˈsentɪŋ/
 
/ˈsentɪŋ/
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  1. scent something to find something by using the sense of smell
    • The dog scented a rabbit.
  2. scent something to begin to feel that something exists or is about to happen synonym sense
    • The press could scent a scandal.
    • By then, the team was scenting victory.
    Homophones cent | scent | sentcent   scent   sent
     
    /sent/
     
    /sent/
    • cent noun
      • Not one cent of their profits goes to charity.
    • scent noun
      • The delicious scent of freshly baked bread was wafting from the kitchen.
    • scent verb
      • The home side increase the pressure on them as they scent weakness.
    • sent noun (past tense, past participle of send)
      • I sent her a thank you letter.
  3. [often passive] scent something (with something) to give something a particular, pleasant smell
    • Roses scented the night air.
    • Scent the room with your favourite aromas.
  4. Word Originlate Middle English (denoting the sense of smell): from Old French sentir ‘perceive, smell’, from Latin sentire. The addition of -c- (in the 17th cent.) is unexplained.
See scent in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
perspective
noun
 
 
From the Word list
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B2
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