English

Noun

prusten ‎(uncountable)

1. A sound made by tigers and snow leopards without the intent to threaten, producing a breathy snort by blowing through the nostrils whilst the mouth is closed — a low-frequency equivalent of the purring found in domestic cats.
   • 2001, Yann Martel, Life of Pi, Canongate (2003), ISBN 184195392X, chapter 57, page 163:

     He made a sound, a snort from his nostrils. I pricked up my ears. He did it a second time. I was astonished. Prusten?

   • ibidem, pages 163–164:

     Prusten is the quietest of tiger calls, a puff through the nose to express friendliness and harmless intentions.

Synonyms

• chuffle

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpʁuːstən/, [ˈpʁuːstn̩]

Verb

prusten ‎(third-person singular simple present prustet, past tense prustete, past participle geprustet, auxiliary haben)

1. to snort (especially with laughter)
2. to splutter

Conjugation

Descendants

• English: prusten