smell-o-vision
/ˈsmɛləˌvɪʒən/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.20 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A (supposed) technology consisting of cinematography with the addition of olfaction, often portrayed as far-fetched or futuristic.
Humorous; Uncountable
name
A system that choreographed the release of odors into a movie theater during the projection of a film.
name
Alternative letter-case form of Smell-O-Vision.
Example Sentences
- ""Magnificent!" shouted our supercritical photographer as he leveled his eye at this picture [of a ham]. […] Perhaps "smell-o-vision" is needed to enjoy fully this Easter treat. Or, better still, taste SUNNYFIELD HAM yourself—either smoked or cooked ready-to-eat."
- "SMELLEVISION REPLACES TELEVISION! Carl Stalling sez, "It will never work!""
- "New model cars come out each year; the split-T and the soccer kick are new football offensive weapons. Black-and-white, then color TV and pretty soon smell-o-vision—that's progress."
- "Other techno-mancers forecast fax in the home, "smellevision" (television sets equipped to emit appropriate odors for each scene), and luminescent paints that store sunlight during the day and glow at night. These new products would surely brighten the future."
- "The film includes some marvelous 3-D special effects as well as flashing lights, a bubblemaker, smell-o-vision, and a surprise from the skies as well as a live actor and a cannon."
- "Meanwhile, in far-off laboratories of the Military-Infotainment Complex (to advance upon Stuart Moulthrop's phrase) at Disney or—yea, verily, even unto—Apple, some scientists work on synchronous smell-o-vision with real-time simulated fragrance degradation shifting from fresh ink to old mold; […]"
Etymology
From smell + -o- (interfix used for ease of pronunciation) + vision, probably popularized by Smell-O-Vision (proper noun) which was recoined in 1959 by Mike Todd Jr. (1929–2002), the American producer of the film Scent of Mystery (1960), as the name of the system invented by the Swiss scientist Hans Laube (1900–1976) used for the film. The term was possibly modelled after terms used in the motion picture industry such as Panavision (a company manufacturing cameras and lenses) and VistaVision (an early widescreen motion picture film format). The variant spelling smellevision is possibly a blend of smell + television.
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈsmɛləˌvɪʒən/
- British English: /ˈsmɛləˌvɪʒən/
Usage
Inflected Forms
smellevision (alternative)
smellovision (alternative)
smellavision (alternative)
smell-a-vision (alternative)