sniff out. Recognize, detect, or deduce from the “smell” or as if by smelling; here the “odor” can be construed as any kind or form of data.

While most species are competent at interpreting olfactory data, including humans, dogs are among the most sophisticated. Where humans rely most heavily on visual data to know the world, a dog's most acute sensory capacity is its sense of smell. Popular media may write articles about humans and pheromones, but when it comes to gathering complex and subtle information, we are dullards in the world of scent. Anyone who has watched a beagle engage the world will have no doubt that this is a dog reference.

New York Times technology reviewer Warren Buckleitner describes a pocket-sized wireless messenger as being “designed to sniff out Wi-Fi hotspots…” (Wi-Fi hotspots are geographical locations in which you can tap into someone else’s wireless system.) In this instance, it is the odor of connectivity that the device detects.

In her Washington Post advice column, Apartment Life, Sara Gebhardt suggests that one reader should “sniff out apartment buildings with lots of vacancies, and try to negotiate rents and privileges to a level where you are comfortable.” Here the implication seems to be more than simply a matter of detection; it suggests that the reader engage in a more covert investigation prior to direct contact.