Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Sniff
Sniff
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Sniffed
or Snift
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Sniffing
.] To draw air audibly up the nose; to snuff; – sometimes done as a gesture of suspicion, offense, or contempt.
So ye grow squeamish, gods, and
sniff
at heaven. M. Arnold.
Sniff
,Verb.
T.
1.
To draw in with the breath through the nose;
as, to
. sniff
the air of the country2.
To perceive as by sniffing; to snuff, to scent; to smell;
as, to
. sniff
dangerSniff
,Noun.
The act of sniffing; perception by sniffing; that which is taken by sniffing;
as, a
. sniff
of airWebster 1828 Edition
Sniff
SNIFF
,Verb.
I.
SNIFF
,Verb.
T.
SNIFF
,Noun.
Definition 2024
sniff
sniff
English
Noun
sniff (plural sniffs)
- An instance of sniffing.
- She gave the flowers a quick sniff to check they were real.
- A quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose
- A brief perception
- 2011 November 3, Chris Bevan, “Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport:
- Tottenham did have a sniff of goal when Defoe's drilled cross just eluded his strike partner at the far post but their best effort came early in the second half when Ryan Fredericks cut in from the right before firing into the side netting.
-
Translations
instance of sniffing
Verb
sniff (third-person singular simple present sniffs, present participle sniffing, simple past and past participle sniffed)
- (transitive, intransitive) To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as if to smell something.
- The dog sniffed around the park, searching for a nice scent.
- I sniffed the meat to see if it hadn't gone off.
- To say something while sniffing, for example in case of illness or unhappiness, or in contempt.
- "He's never coming back, is he?" she sniffed while looking at a picture of him.
- (transitive) To perceive vaguely
- I can sniff trouble coming from the basement.
- To be dismissive or contemptuous of something.
- This opportunity is not to be sniffed at.
- (computing) To intercept and analyse packets of data being transmitted over a network.
- (slang, Britain) To inhale drugs in powder form (usually cocaine) through the nose.
Translations
to make a short audible inhalation
|
|
to say something while sniffing
|
to be dismissive or contemptuous
to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose
Interjection
sniff!
- A short inhalation sound, sometimes associated with crying.
- 2009, Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book, page 28
- [a wild boar is laughing and Obelix is crying]]
- Wild boar classified a protected species
- First reaction from dismayed costumers:
- “Boohoohoo! Sniff!”
- 2009, Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book, page 28
Derived terms
Terms derived from the noun or verb "sniff"