different between scentless vs scent

English

Etymology

scent +? -less

Adjective

scentless (comparative more scentless, superlative most scentless)

1. Not having a scent, odorless.

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• sent (obsolete)

Etymology

From c.1400, borrowed from Old French sentir (“to feel, perceive, smell”), from Old French sentire "to feel, perceive, sense", from Latin sent?re, present active infinitive of senti?. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to feel”), and thus related to Dutch zin (“sense, meaning”), German Sinn (“sense”), Low German Sinn (“sense”), Luxembourgish Sënn (“sense, perception”), Saterland Frisian Sin (“sense”), West Frisian sin (“sense”). The -c- appeared in the 17th century, possibly by influence of ascent, descent, etc., or by influence of science.

Pronunciation

• enPR: s?nt, IPA^(key): /s?nt/
• Rhymes: -?nt
• Homophones: cent, sent

Noun

scent (countable and uncountable, plural scents)

1. A distinctive odour or smell.

2. An odour left by an animal that may be used for tracing.

3. The sense of smell.

4. A perfume.
5. (figuratively) Any trail or trace that can be followed to find something or someone, such as the paper left behind in a paperchase.
6. (obsolete) Sense, perception.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene:

     A fit false dream, that can delude the sleeper's sent.

Usage notes

• Almost always applied to agreeable odors (fragrances).

Synonyms

Derived terms

• scented
• scentless

Translations

Verb

scent (third-person singular simple present scents, present participle scenting, simple past and past participle scented)

1. (transitive) To detect the scent of; to discern by the sense of smell.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To have a suspicion of.

3. (transitive) To impart an odour to.
4. (intransitive, archaic) To have a smell.

   • Thunderbolts […] do sent strongly of brimstone.

5. To hunt animals by means of the sense of smell.

Translations

Anagrams

• cents