noun
sense of smell; olfaction
Refers to the physiological ability to detect odors; used in both everyday and scientific contexts.
犬は嗅覚が非常に優れている。
Dogs have an extremely keen sense of smell.
風邪で嗅覚が鈍った。
My sense of smell became dull due to a cold.
触覚 is the sense of touch, while 嗅覚 is the sense of smell.
Compound of 嗅 (kyū, 'smell') and 覚 (kaku, 'sense, perception'). The kanji 嗅 is composed of 口 (mouth) and 臭 (smell), suggesting the act of sniffing.