nose about

present singular third person noses about · participle present nosing about · participle past nosed about · past nosed about

1. idiomaticinformalTo snoop around; to discreetly or covertly search or examine a place or situation.

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   2024, Paul Salopek, New Map: Ancient Roads of China, National Geographichttps://outofedenwalk.nationalgeographic.org/articles/2024-07-new-map-ancient-roads-china It’s not hard to find antique roads in China. The place has been shaped and reshaped by engineers for thousands of years. As any Chinese schoolchild will tell you, grand civilizations dating to the Bronze Age blazed intricate communications networks that expanded trade and maintained military control. By nosing about a bit on foot, you can locate ghostly remnants of these historic pathways almost anywhere today, often just a few steps away from expressways.