| 单词 | sniff out |
| 释义 | sniff out (once / 32651 pages) v To sniff out is to discover or detect something, the way a detective might sniff out a criminal's hideout or a four year-old sniffs out the cookies you hid at the back of a cupboard. To understand the verb sniff out, imagine a police dog literally sniffing for clues. Detectives sniff out criminals and reporters sniff out the details of a story or a scandal, even when they don't actually use their noses. This figurative meaning of smelling to indicate suspicion has been around a long long time and relates to the concept of something rotten smelling bad; just think back to Shakespeare's use of "There's something rotten in the state of Denmark" to indicate Claudius's corruption. The use of the verb sniff to mean "smell" dates from the nineteenth century. WORD FAMILYsniff out: sniffed out, sniffing out, sniffs out USAGE EXAMPLESThey have sniffed out potentially broken or leaking sewer pipes, failed septic systems and places where waste might be mishandled or improperly disposed. Washington Times(Dec 01, 2016) Her goal is to sniff out the Perigord truffle, a fungus so prized by chefs it is called the diamond in the kitchen. New York Times(Nov 24, 2016) The idea of sniffing out restlessness in volcanic fumes has been around for decades. Science Magazine(Nov 21, 2016) v recognize or detect by or as if by smelling Syn nose out, scent out, smell out |
| 随便看 |
英语词典包含147318条英英释义在线翻译词条，基本涵盖了全部常用单词的英英翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。