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flehmen

Intermediate (B1)

IPA: //ˈfleɪmən//

KK: /flɛɪmən/

noun
Definition

A behavior seen in some mammals, like horses and cats, where they open their mouth and curl their upper lip to better sense certain smells or pheromones.


Example

The horse displayed flehmen after smelling the scent in the air.


Conversation
Sloth A
Did you know that horses exhibit a behavior called flehmen when they smell something interesting?
Sloth B
Really? I’ve never heard of that before.
Sloth A
Yeah, it helps them detect scents better by using their vomeronasal organ.
Sloth B
That’s fascinating! Animals have such cool ways of interacting with their environment.

Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
sniff
scent
whiff
Antonyms
ignore
neglect
overlook
Root Explanation

Flehmen originates from the German word 'flehmen', which means to curl the upper lip. It describes a behavior observed in some animals, particularly when they are detecting scents.

Memory Tip

Think of animals curling their lips to better sense their surroundings — that's what 'flehmen' refers to.

Visually Confused Words
fleshment
fleshen
fleechment
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