nose
nose — noun
1. the part of your face above your mouth that you use for breathing and for smelli
the part of your face above your mouth that you use for breathing and for smelling things
Mateo has a small nose and big brown eyes.
The doctor asked Niran to breathe slowly through his nose.
collocation: breathe through your nose
Yuki's nose started to run when she caught a cold last week.
collocation: runny nose / nose runs
Hannah held her nose tightly before jumping into the cold pool.
collocation: hold your nose
The smell of fresh bread filled Hugo's nose as he walked past the bakery.
- runny nose
- blocked nose
- blow your nose
- breathe through your nose
- hold your nose
- wrinkle your nose
- nose job
- bloody nose
Grammar Patterns
possessive + nose
the + nose + of + person
Usage Note
Common in expressions about health (a runny nose, a stuffy nose, a blocked nose) and physical actions (blow your nose, wipe your nose, pick your nose). Many compound adjectives use this sense: red-nosed, long-nosed, snub-nosed.
Common Mistakes
2. the particular smell that a wine has, which wine experts use to judge its qualit
the particular smell that a wine has, which wine experts use to judge its quality and character
Eleni described the wine's nose as fruity with hints of oak and vanilla.
wine terminology: the nose of a wine
This red wine has a strong nose of blackberries and dark cherries.
pattern: have a + adjective + nose of + flavour
Salma could tell the wine was old from its rich, complex nose.
Ayesha learned to recognise the nose of a good Bordeaux during her trip to France.
- complex nose
- fruity nose
- rich nose
- wine's nose
- nose of a wine
- pronounced nose
Grammar Patterns
the + nose + of + wine
wine/red + has + a + adjective + nose
Usage Note
Used almost exclusively in the context of wine tasting, where 'nose' is a synonym for 'bouquet' or 'aroma'. Unlike the general word 'smell', 'nose' here is a technical term with positive connotations of discernment.
Common Mistakes
3. the projecting front end of an aircraft, car, or ship, shaped to push smoothly t
the projecting front end of an aircraft, car, or ship, shaped to push smoothly through air or water with less resistance
The plane's nose pointed downward as it began its final landing approach.
collocation: nose of a plane / plane's nose
Sivan saw the nose of the fishing boat slowly emerge from the thick morning fog.
Eric painted a bright red stripe along the nose of his model aeroplane.
The front-left section of the car, including the nose, was badly damaged in the crash.
collocation: nose of a car
- nose of the plane
- nose of the car
- nose cone
- nose wheel
- nose-first
- nose-to-tail
- tail
the rear part of a vehicle, especially an aircraft
Grammar Patterns
the + nose + of + vehicle
Usage Note
Most frequent in aviation contexts (plane's nose, nose cone, nose wheel) but also used for cars (nose of the car, nose-to-tail traffic) and boats (nose of the ship). The equivalent term for trains is typically 'front' rather than 'nose'.
by a nose
idiomWinning or losing by a very small amount, especially in a race.
The horse won the race by a nose.
Did the favorite lose by a nose?
To do something out of anger that harms yourself as well as the person you want to hurt.
He quit his job to upset his boss, cutting off his nose to spite his face.
Why would you cut off your nose to spite your face by refusing help?
follow your nose
idiomTo go in the direction that your sense of smell tells you.
Follow your nose to the bakery; the smell will guide you.
Just follow your nose and you will find the coffee shop.
To be trying to get a lot of money for yourself, often in a greedy way.
The politicians have their noses in the trough, taking public money.
He always has his nose in the trough, seeking more profits.
To annoy someone.
His constant humming gets up my nose.
Does her loud voice get up your nose?
To defeat someone, especially in a competition or election.
The underdog team gave the champions a bloody nose.
Voters gave the mayor a bloody nose in the election.
To be reading a book, often with great attention.
Mia always has her nose in a book during lunch.
He had his head in a book and did not hear the doorbell.
To be reading something with complete attention.
Peter has his nose in a mystery novel.
She had her nose in the report all morning.
have a nose round
idiomTo look around a place or search for something.
I will have a nose round the shop to see what they sell.
Let's have a nose round the attic for old photos.
Used to say that something does not upset you because it does not affect you badly.
If he wants to quit, it's no skin off my nose.
It's no skin off your nose if she arrives late.
keep your nose clean
idiomTo avoid doing anything wrong or illegal.
Since leaving prison, he has kept his nose clean.
She tries to keep her nose clean at work.
To not get involved in matters that do not concern you.
Keep your nose out of my private affairs.
He should keep his nose out of their argument.
To work hard without stopping for a long time.
She kept her nose to the grindstone to finish the project.
He keeps his nose to the grindstone every day.
To control someone completely and make them do what you want.
The manager leads his team by the nose.
She leads her husband by the nose.
To act as if you are better than someone or something.
She looks down her nose at people who drive old cars.
He looks down his nose at cheaper restaurants.
nose to tail
idiomMoving slowly in a long line with little space between vehicles.
The traffic was nose to tail on the highway.
Cars were lined up nose to tail for miles.
on the nose
idiomExactly, precisely.
The train arrived at 9 o'clock on the nose.
Her guess was on the nose.
To pay too much money for something.
We paid through the nose for concert tickets.
He paid through the nose for that used car.
Very obvious or easy to see.
The mistake was as plain as the nose on your face.
Her intention was plain as day.
To become involved in something that is not your business.
He always pokes his nose into other people's business.
Don't stick your nose into my personal matters.
powder your nose
idiomA polite way to say you are going to the toilet.
Excuse me, I need to powder my nose.
She left the table to powder her nose.
To upset or annoy someone, especially by not giving them enough attention.
Her promotion put his nose out of joint.
Not being invited put her nose out of joint.
To keep reminding someone of their past mistakes in an unkind way.
He keeps rubbing her nose in her failure.
Why do you rub my nose in it every time?
To show disrespect or defiance toward someone or something.
The company thumbs its nose at safety regulations.
He thumbed his nose at the school rules.
To refuse something because you think it is not good enough.
She turned her nose up at the cheap wine.
He turned his nose up at the job offer.
Very close to someone but not noticed by them.
The keys were under my nose the whole time.
The thief stole the wallet right under his nose.
In a way that shows you think you are better than others.
She walked past with her nose in the air.
He spoke with his nose in the air, ignoring us.
nose — verb
1. to try to find out private information about other people by looking around wher
to try to find out private information about other people by looking around where you are not supposed to be, in a way that is annoying or not welcome
The reporter spent the morning nosing around the politician's private office for a story.
pattern: nose around + place
Rachid caught his neighbour nosing through his mail one afternoon.
pattern: nose through + something
Someone has been nosing into our financial records without permission.
pattern: nose into + private matter
The security guard saw a stranger nosing about the warehouse after midnight.
Ayesha told her nosy colleague to stop nosing into her personal life.
- nose around
- nose about
- nose into
- nose through
- nosy person
- snoop
very similar meaning, perhaps slightly more common in American English
- pry
more formal equivalent; 'pry into' is interchangeable with 'nose into'
- poke around
informal phrasal verb; can be neutral or negative depending on context
- ignore
to deliberately pay no attention to something
- respect privacy
phrase indicating the opposite behaviour
Grammar Patterns
nose + around
nose + about
nose + into + place/matter
nose + object + out
Usage Note
Almost always used with a following adverb (around/about) or preposition (into/through). The related adjective 'nosy' describes someone who behaves this way. This sense does NOT mean to use your physical nose to smell — it is entirely metaphorical.
Common Mistakes
2. to drive or guide a vehicle forwards a little at a time, taking great care not t
to drive or guide a vehicle forwards a little at a time, taking great care not to hit anything or go into a space that is too small
Hugo carefully nosed the car into the narrow parking space between two vans.
pattern: nose + vehicle + into + space
The captain slowly nosed the ship into the busy harbour through the early morning mist.
Christopher nosed the delivery van forward through the crowded market street.
The taxi nosed its way out of the traffic jam and turned down a side road.
pattern: nose one's way + adverb/preposition
- nose forward
- nose into
- nose out of
- nose through
- nose the car
- nose the boat
- nose one's way
Grammar Patterns
nose + vehicle + adverb/preposition
nose + adverb/preposition
nose + into/out of/through + space
Usage Note
Often used when describing parking, moving through tight spaces, or entering a harbour. When transitive, the object is always a vehicle (nose the boat / nose the car). The intransitive use personifies the vehicle as moving itself (the car nosed forward).
Common Mistakes
Word family
- nosyadjectiveB1
- nosilyadverbB2
- nosinessnounC1
- nosebleednounB1
- nose-divenounB2
- nose-diveverbB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four expressions describe trying to find out information that is not meant for you, but they differ in register and connotation. 'Nose around' (or 'nose into') is informal and suggests physical searching — the image is of someone literally sticking their nose into a space. 'Snoop' is also informal but more direct; a snoop deliberately looks through private things like drawers or phones. 'Pry' is slightly more formal and focuses on asking questions rather than searching physically — a person pries into your personal affairs by asking too many questions. 'Poke around' is the most neutral and can even be innocent: 'I poked around the second-hand shop looking for old records.' For negative, unwelcome intrusion into someone's private matters, 'nose around' and 'snoop' are the strongest choices. Example: 'Instead of nosing around the boss's desk, just ask him directly.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'nose' comes from Old English 'nosu', which can be traced back to the same ancient root as German 'Nase', Dutch 'neus', and Latin 'nasus'. This root goes back thousands of years to an early Indo-European word for the nose. The verb senses developed later: the 'pry' meaning appeared in the 1600s, based on the idea of a nosy person sticking their nose into other people's business. The 'move carefully' sense comes from the 1800s, imagining a vehicle's nose pushing forward slowly, like an animal using its nose to explore.