nosing

American

[noh-zing] / ˈnoʊ zɪŋ /

noun

Architecture.

a projecting edge, as the part of the tread of a step extending beyond the riser or a projecting part of a buttress.

nosing British

/ ˈnəʊzɪŋ /

noun

the edge of a step or stair tread that projects beyond the riser
a projecting edge of a moulding, esp one that is half-round

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nosing

First recorded in 1765–75; nose + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She floated across the cove, nosing herself off the shore and bumping from reef to rocks.

From Literature

At the top of the page was a glossy picture of a large black-and-white skunk nosing along a patch of dirt.

From Literature

Sonny, the star Portuguese water dog, went nosing around for a girlfriend when he was supposed to be attending to press obligations in the Long Island living room of his professional dog-show handler, Kimberly Calvacca.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bears, who can weigh up to half a ton and outrun humans, have been breaking into homes looking for food, nosing around schools and rampaging through supermarkets.

From Barron's

After a laborious setup of some 40 minutes, Blanc finally starts nosing around the scene.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023