from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Nose \Nose\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Nosed} (n[=o]zd); p. pr. & vb.
n. {Nosing}.]
1. To smell; to scent; hence, to track, or trace out.
[1913 Webster]
2. To touch with the nose; to push the nose into or against;
hence, to interfere with; to treat insolently.
[1913 Webster]
Lambs . . . nosing the mother's udder. --Tennyson.
[1913 Webster]
A sort of national convention, dubious in its nature
. . . nosed Parliament in the very seat of its
authority. --Burke.
[1913 Webster]
3. To utter in a nasal manner; to pronounce with a nasal
twang; as, to nose a prayer. [R.] --Cowley.
[1913 Webster]
4. To confront; be closely face to face or opposite to; meet.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
5. To furnish with a nose; as, to nose a stair tread.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
6. To examine with the nose or sense of smell.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
7. To make by advancing the nose or front end; as, the train
nosed its way into the station;
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
8. (Racing Slang) to beat by (the length of) a nose. Hence,
to defeat in a contest by a small margin; also used in the
form {nose out}.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]