an odor left in passing by which a person or animal can be traced
"The detective followed the faint scent of tobacco to track down the missing suspect's hiding place."
A distinctive odour or smell.
"The old library still held a sweet, dusty scent of decaying paper and vanilla."
In plain English: A scent is a smell that you can detect with your nose.
"The fresh scent of rain filled the air after the storm passed."
Usage: Use "scent" as a noun when referring specifically to an odor that is distinct, pleasant, or easily detected, often implying something fragrant rather than just any generic smell. Avoid using it interchangeably with general terms like "smell" if you need to emphasize the specific quality of being aromatic or noticeable from a distance.
To detect the scent of; to discern by the sense of smell.
"The hound paused to sniff the ground and then turned sharply, having finally caught the scent of the missing fox."
In plain English: To scent something means to give it an odor so that people can smell it.
"The roses began to scent the cool morning air with their sweet fragrance."
The word scent comes from Old French sentir and Latin sentīre, both meaning "to feel" or "perceive." It entered English through Middle English with this same broad sense before narrowing specifically to mean smelling something in later centuries.