First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1sniff
verb \ˈsnif\
: to take air into your nose in short breaths that are loud enough to be heard
: to smell (something or someone) by putting your nose close to it and taking air in through your nose in short breaths
: to take (something, such as fumes or a drug) into your body by inhaling it through your nose in order to get intoxicated
Full Definition of SNIFF
intransitive verb
1
: to draw air audibly up the nose especially for smelling <sniffed at the flowers>
2
: to show or express disdain or scorn
transitive verb
1
: to smell or take by inhalation through the nose
2
: to utter contemptuously
3
: to recognize or detect by or as if by smelling <sniff out trouble>
See sniff defined for English-language learners
See sniff defined for kids
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Origin of SNIFF
Middle English
2sniff
noun
: an act or the sound of drawing air into the nose especially in order to smell something or because you are sick or have been crying
: an expression of dislike or disapproval
: a small amount or sign of something
Full Definition of SNIFF
1
: an act or sound of sniffing
2
: a quantity that is sniffed
See sniff defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of SNIFF
1767
SNIFF Defined for Kids
1sniff
verb \ˈsnif\
sniffedsniff·ing
Definition of SNIFF for Kids
1
: to smell by taking short breaths <sniff perfume>
2
: to draw air into the nose in short breaths loud enough to be heard
3
: to say with scorn
2sniff
noun
Definition of SNIFF for Kids
1
: the act or sound of drawing air into the nose in short breaths (as to smell something) <He took a sniff of the pie.>
2
: an odor detected through the nose <a sniff of sea air>
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