1
- a distinctive smell, especially one that is pleasant气味; 香味：
the scent of freshly cut hay.
新切的干草香味。
1.1
- mass noun pleasant-smelling liquid worn on the skin; perfume香水：
she sprayed scent over her body.
她往身上喷香水。
1.2
- a trail indicated by the characteristic smell of an animal and perceptible to hounds or other animals（动物的）遗臭, 臭迹：
the hound followed the scent.
猎狗跟踪臭迹。
1.3
- figurative a trail of evidence or other signs assisting someone in a search or investigation〈喻〉痕迹; 线索：
once their interest is aroused they follow the scent with sleuth-like pertinacity.
一旦引起他们的兴趣, 他们就抓住线索, 穷追不舍。
1.4
- mass noun archaic the faculty or sense of smell〈古〉嗅觉。
with obj.
1
- （一般作be scented with）impart a pleasant scent to使有香味：
a glass of tea scented with a local herb
用本地药草使茶带有香味
as adj. scented scented soap.香皂。
2
- discern by the sense of smell闻到, 嗅到：
a shark can scent blood from well over half a kilometre away.
鲨鱼能在半公里之外嗅到血腥味。
2.1
- figurative sense the presence, existence, or imminence of〈喻〉觉察; 预感：
the Premier scented victory last night.
昨夜总理就预感到了胜利。
2.2
- sniff (the air) for a scent嗅, 闻：
the bull advanced, scenting the breeze at every step.
公牛向前走着, 每一步都要嗅一嗅微风中的气味。
短语
on the scent
- in possession of a useful clue in a search or investigation（在搜索或调查中）获得线索。
put（或throw）someone off the scent
- mislead someone in the course of a search or investigation使某人失去线索（或迷失方向）。
派生词
scentless
adjective词源
late 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.