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Webster 1913 Edition

Sneeze

Sneeze

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Sneezed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Sneezing
.]
[OE.
snesen
; of uncertain origin; cf. D.
snuse
to sniff, E.
neese
, and AS.
fneósan
.]
To emit air, chiefly through the nose, audibly and violently, by a kind of involuntary convulsive force, occasioned by irritation of the inner membrane of the nose.
Not to be sneezed at
,
not to be despised or contemned; not to be treated lightly.
[Colloq.]
“He had to do with old women who were not to be sneezed at.”
Prof. Wilson.

Sneeze

,
Noun.
A sudden and violent ejection of air with an audible sound, chiefly through the nose.

Webster 1828 Edition

Sneeze

SNEEZE

, v.i.
To emit air through the nose audibly and violently, by a kind of involuntary convulsive force, occasioned by irriatation of the inner membrance of the nose. Thus snuff or any thing that tickles the nose, makes one sneeze.

Definition 2024

sneeze

sneeze

English

Verb

sneeze ‎(third-person singular simple present sneezes, present participle sneezing, simple past and past participle sneezed)

  1. (intransitive) To expel air as a reflex induced by an irritation in the nose.
  2. (intransitive) To expel air as if the nose were irritated.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

sneeze ‎(plural sneezes)

  1. An act of sneezing.

Synonyms

Translations

See also

Etymology

From Middle English snesen ‎(“to sneeze”), alteration of earlier fnesen ‎(“to sneeze”), from Old English fnēosan ‎(“to snort, sneeze”), from Proto-Germanic *fneusaną ‎(“to sneeze, snort”), from Proto-Indo-European *pnew- ‎(“to breathe, sneeze”). Cognate with Dutch dialectal fniezen ‎(“to sneeze”), Old Norse fnȳsa ‎(“to snort”); Middle English neosen ‎(“to sneeze”), from Old Norse hnjōsa ‎(“to sneeze”), Old High German niosan ‎(“to sneeze”)}.

The infrequency of the “fn” combination coupled with the visual similarity of an “f” and “ſ” (long “s”) assisted in ultimately turning “fneeze” into “ſneeze (sneeze)”.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /sniːz/
  • (US) IPA(key): /sniz/
  • Rhymes: -iːz

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