Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Loss of the sense of smell.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In pathology, a loss of the sense of smell.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Med.) Loss of the sense of smell.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Inability to smell; the inability to perceive odors.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun absence of the sense of smell (as by damage to olfactory nasal tissue or the olfactory nerve or by obstruction of the nasal passages)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[New Latin : Greek an-, without; see a– + Greek osmē, odor.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From New Latin anosmia, based on Ancient Greek ἀν- (an-) + ὀσμή (osmē, "smell").

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Examples

  • A group of investors sued Matrixx for a "material" misrepresentation and omission under federal securities law because the company did not publicly report that medical researchers in the early 2000s had traced Zicam to the loss of smell, known as anosmia, and that related lawsuits against the company had been filed.

    Court sides with investors on disclosing drug reactions 2011

  • FORTIN: Susan was diagnosed with a condition known as anosmia, or the complete loss of the ability to smell.

    CNN Transcript Nov 8, 2007 2007

  • When people lose their sense of smell a condition called anosmia, nearly half of them will notice a massive decrease in sexual interest and nearly a quarter of them will report difficulties in sexual performance and a great reduction in the pleasure associated with sex.

    How to Speak Dog Stanley Coren 2000

  • The loss of smell is called anosmia, and Davidson said that people might not appreciate how significant it can be.

    U.S. News 2010

  • For years Matrixx knew of complaints of loss of smell (known as anosmia) from users of the recalled Zicam product, but failed to alert consumers.

    StreetInsider.com News Articles 2010

  • It's important to pay attention immediately, though; due to a condition called anosmia, we humans stop smelling something different after about 15 minutes.

    SFGate: Top News Stories Matt Villano 2009

  • Food and Drug Administration was warning consumers to avoid using Zicam's nasal spray and swabs because it had 130 reported cases where users suffered from anosmia, which is a loss of smell.

    Investopedia.com Headlines 2009

  • anosmia, which is the lack of perception of an odor for a specific compound, when the smell is otherwise intact.

    msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines 2011

  • I was born with anosmia, which is a fancy way of saying I’ve never been able to smell.

    PvPonline » Archive » Your it’s. 2008

  • I was born with anosmia, which is a fancy way of saying I’ve never been able to smell.

    PvPonline » 2008 » August » 19 2008

  • Anosmia, or the inability to smell, can be caused not only by head injuries but also by exposure to certain toxins and by a variety of medical problems—including tumors, Alzheimer’s, and viral diseases, such as COVID.

    With This Bionic Nose, COVID Survivors May Smell the Roses Again Eliza Strickland 2022

  • But there are many studies demonstrating profound links between anosmia (the clinical term for smell loss) and clinical depression.

    COVID Has Caused Millions to Lose their Sense of Smell—One Writer’s Journey to a Scentless Life and Back Condé Nast 2020

  • A complete loss of smell (anosmia) or loss of taste (ageusia) is rare.

    Loss of Taste and Smell: Anosmia, Loss of Smell & COVID-19 2023

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