# olfaction

> English word · Noun · IPA /oʊlˈfækʃən/ · frequency rank #99,654

## Definitions
1. The sense of smell; the detection of airborne molecules.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French olfaction /olefaction, from Latin olfactus, perfect passive participle of olfaciō (“to smell (transitive)”) + -tion.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/olfaction