Olfacere

Olfacere is a Latin verb meaning to smell or to perceive by the sense of smell. In classical Latin, it was used to describe the act of detecting odors and to express sensory perception through the olfactory sense.

Etymology and cognates: The term is the source of the English root olfact-, which appears in words such as olfactory and olfaction. English derivatives include olfactory (relating to the sense of smell) and the noun olfaction (the sense of smell). The Latin noun olfactus and related adjectives document the same root in classical medical and natural-philosophical texts.

Modern usage: In anatomy and neuroscience, the adjective olfactory refers to structures and processes involved in smell, such as the olfactory epithelium, the olfactory bulb, and olfactory receptor neurons. The term olfaction denotes the act or sense of smelling. These modern terms derive from the Latin root via the long-standing integration of Latin into European scientific vocabulary.

Olfacere thus stands as a historical Latin verb with lasting influence on scientific terminology for the sense of smell.