anosmia

noun

an·​os·​mia a-ˈnäz-mē-ə How to pronounce anosmia (audio)
: loss or impairment of the sense of smell
anosmic adjective

Examples of anosmia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The loss of smell, or anosmia, is such a common symptom of Covid-19 that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently added it to its official list. Greg Miller, Discover Magazine, 19 May 2020 The scientific term for loss of smell is anosmia, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought this disorder to the forefront, as more than 40% of patients reported loss of smell. Kristen Lynch, USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2023 This is one potential factor, but further research is being conducted to understand more about the causes of anosmia. Nessa Riazi, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2017 Roughly 5% of people who experience smell loss during COVID-19 will develop long-term anosmia, according to Dr. Bradley J. Goldstein, an ear, nose and throat doctor at Duke University Hospital. Nicole Kagan, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2022 Musk anosmia has been studied since the 1970s, when scientists found nose-blindness to musks could range from not being able to smell gorgeous purple-and-yellow freesia flowers to the life-damning spray of a skunk (lucky for those people... Margaux Anbouba, ELLE, 25 May 2023 Folks with anosmia are twice as likely to experience hazards like inability to detect gas leaks, smoke or spoiled food, reports CNN. Rasha Aridi, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Nov. 2021 Never mind, as theTimes points out, the irony of releasing a scented shirt that can only be smelled at close proximity in a year when social distancing is vogue and anosmia is trending. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2020 In rodent studies, researchers sometimes model depression by removing the olfactory bulbs, to induce anosmia. Scott Sayare, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anosmia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, from Greek an- an- + -osmia (as in euosmía "fragrance, perfume," kakosmía "bad odor"), from -osmos "having an odor (of the kind specified)" (adjective derivative from osmḗ "odor, scent," going back to *od-smā, derivative—with -smē, -mē, deverbal noun suffix—of od-, base of ózein "to smell, give off an odor") + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at odor

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anosmia was in 1797

Dictionary Entries Near anosmia

Cite this Entry

“Anosmia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anosmia. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

anosmia

noun
an·​os·​mia a-ˈnäz-mē-ə How to pronounce anosmia (audio)
: loss or impairment of the sense of smell
anosmic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on anosmia

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