smell test
The term "smell test" can refer to both a literal assessment of odors and a figurative method of evaluating credibility or authenticity.
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Definition
C1General
(idiomatic, informal)An informal method to judge whether something seems credible or acceptable based on intuition or initial impressions.
Example
- The proposal didn't pass the smell test; it seemed too good to be true.
B2Physiology
(technical, medical)A medical examination to evaluate a person's ability to detect and identify odors.
Example
- The doctor conducted a smell test to diagnose the patient's olfactory disorder.
B1Food Inspection
(common)An inspection using the sense of smell to check the freshness of food.
Example
- She gave the milk a quick smell test to make sure it hadn't gone bad.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "smell test":
sniff testnose testsmoke testsmell upshit testsniff outtesting groundscreen testfalse scentpatch testbench testbrown bag testtest out