sniff Hear it!

sniff Definition

sniff (snif)

intransitive verb

  1. to draw in air through the nose with enough force to be heard, as in clearing the nose or smelling something
  2. to express disdain, skepticism, etc. by sniffing

Etymology: ME sniffen, akin to Dan snive, of echoic orig.

transitive verb

  1. to breathe in forcibly through the nose; draw in or inhale nasally
  2. to smell (a substance) by sniffing
  3. to detect, perceive, or get a suspicion of by or as by sniffing: often with out

noun

  1. an act or sound of sniffing
  2. something sniffed

sniff Related Forms
sniffer noun
sniff Synonyms

sniff

v.

snuff, scent, inhale; see smell 2.

sniff Usage Examples

Object

  • glue: I don't wanna sniff glue like me mates.
  • cocaine: Apparently Kate was caught sniffing the cocaine with some people related to Kate's boyfriend Pete Doherty's band.
  • solvent: There is also a strong possibility that sniffing solvents over a longer period of time could make someone's epilepsy worse.
  • packet: Therefore, " Bob " will only respond if he has sniffed the packet from the wire.
  • air: Abraham sniffed the still air, then crouched beside tall grass stems.
  • substance: Health risks Sniffing these substances can be lethal or cause long-term damage.

Modifying Another Word

  • loudly: One of the male lawyers, the taller of the two, sniffed loudly and then said.
  • about: He then set off eastwards along about 7 meters of passage to have a sniff about.
  • again: We kind of took a liking to each other, and that was that. ' The policeman sniffed again.
  • hard: She sniffed hard and looked up at me, " I love you, you know that?
  • then: A rather scruffy looking Wesley Kerr then sniffed his was a location " far too grand to be on any Monopoly board.
  • still: However, if a hacker compromises the end-nodes of a VPN connection, they can still sniff the traffic.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • out: And of course, sniffing out his next project.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • around: Doing nothing more than enjoy a pint sniff around the girls put a bet on at the bookies.

Particle object:

  • drug: Wasn't much of a lateral career shift to work in vise so I helped the police sniff out drugs as well.

Used with why or when

  • when: Actors can use non-word sounds as character mannerisms, like a character who always sniffs loudly when they get angry.

Particle object:

  • nose: It is usually sniffed up the nose or sometimes made into a solution, which is then injected.

Preposition: of

  • goal: An under-hit back-pass by the acting captain Stam gave Robbie Keane a sniff of goal.
  • chance: We had a sniff of a chance from a corner two minutes in.

Browse dictionary entries near sniff

  1. snide
  2. snickersnee
  3. snicker
  4. snick
  5. SNG
  6. snell
  7. sneezewort
  8. sneezeweed
  9. sneeze
  10. sneer
  1. Sniffer Program or Packet Sniffer
  2. sniffle
  3. sniffy
  4. snifter
  5. snigger
  6. sniggle
  7. snip
  8. snipe
  9. sniper
  10. sniperscope