Tin provided strong smell (5)
I believe the answer is:
sniff
'smell' is the definition.
(I know that sniff is a type of smell)
'tin provided strong' is the wordplay.
'tin' becomes 'Sn' (Sn is the chemical symbol for tin).
'provided' becomes 'if' (eg 'provided it's sunny' means 'if it's sunny').
'strong' becomes 'f' (musical symbol for 'forte', 'strong' in Italian).
'sn'+'if'+'f'='SNIFF'
(Other definitions for sniff that I've seen before include "What tracker dogs do" , "Inhale audibly through the nose" , "Slight suspicion (perceived though the nose?)" , "Inhale (glue); slight suspicion" , "Snuffle" .)