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.
2. To touch with the nose; to push the nose into or against; hence, to interfere with; to treat insolently.
Lambs . . . nosing the mother's udder. --Tennyson.
A sort of national convention, dubious in its nature . . . nosed Parliament in the very seat of its authority. --Burke.
3. To utter in a nasal manner; to pronounce with a nasal twang; as, to nose a prayer. [R.] --Cowley.
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.]
Nosing \Nos"ing\, n. (Arch.) That part of the treadboard of a stair which projects over the riser; hence, any like projection, as the projecting edge of a molding.