Crossword Clue: Facial feature used for smelling
Here's the answer to the Facial feature used for smelling crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: NOSE
NOSE solves the clue "Facial feature used for smelling". Spanning 4 letters (2 vowels, 2 consonants), it begins at N and ends at E. Like most crossword fill, it lives at the intersection of two words, so a single confirmed crossing letter frequently reveals the whole entry.
Origin & meaning
The nose warms and filters the air we breathe and houses the sense of smell. The human nose can distinguish an estimated trillion different odors, far more than once believed.
Common usage
Nose turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like NOSE interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 4-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 4 letters, NOSE shows up in daily mini and themed puzzles far more than longer, obscure words. It's the kind of entry worth memorizing — the more common short words you know cold, the faster you solve.
Stuck on this clue?
If this clue won't come, leave it and fill the answers that cross it. Once a couple of NOSE's letters are locked by neighboring words, the entry tends to reveal itself. Crossings beat staring at a clue every time.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue NOSE — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "Seeing 'Facial feature used for smelling' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in NOSE almost immediately."
- "Once the N was confirmed by the crossing word, NOSE was the only entry that fit."
- "A 4-letter slot and a clue like 'Facial feature used for smelling'? That's NOSE nine times out of ten."