The word "smell" refers to the ability to perceive odors or scents through the nose. It can also describe the odor itself, indicating a particular scent that is sensed. Smell is one of the five senses and plays a crucial role in detecting and identifying different substances in our environment.
The word "smell" originates from the Old English term "smellan," which means "to detect a scent." This term is related to other Germanic languages, where similar words are found, such as in Old Norse "smella" meaning "to smell." Over time, it evolved into its modern form.