Definition of "sniff"

sniff

/snɪf/

verb
third-person singular simple present sniffs, present participle sniffing, simple past and past participle sniffed
1. (transitive, intransitive) To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something.
2. (transitive) To say (something) while sniffing, such as in case of illness or unhappiness, or in contempt.
3. (transitive) To perceive vaguely.
  Quotations
  I don't know, of course, what your precious Radicals are planning to do, and I don't want to know; but I can sniff trouble in the air, nevertheless.
  1952, Isabelle Hughes, Lorena Telforth, page 223
4. (intransitive) To pry; to investigate in an interfering manner.
  Quotations
  COOMBE: He got the clinch only last week — eighteen months. You see it's no good having anybody here as ain't got a unblemished character. We don't want to have the bluebottles come sniffing round here, do we?
  1882, Henry Herman, Henry Arthur Jones, The Silver King
5. To be dismissive or contemptuous of something; used with at.
6. (computing) To intercept and analyse packets of data being transmitted over a network.
7. (slang, chiefly UK) To inhale drugs (usually cocaine) through the nose, usually in powder form.
  Quotations
  Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.
  1980, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, directors, Airplane!, spoken by Steve McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges)
noun
countable and uncountable, plural sniffs
1. (countable) An instance of sniffing.
2. (countable) A quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose.
3. (countable, colloquial) A brief perception, or tiny amount.
  Quotations
  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.
  2011 November 3, Chris Bevan, “Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport‎
  Telecoms firms want a sniff, having invested heavily in ultra-fast, low-latency 5G spectrum.
  2021 December 18, “The billionaire battle for the metaverse”, in The Economist‎
4. (uncountable, slang) Cocaine.
  Quotations
  He sold us some sniff and blow.
  2008, Tammy Anderson, Neither Villain nor Victim
interjection
1. A short inhalation sound, sometimes associated with crying.
  Quotations
  a wild boar is laughing and Obelix is cryingWild boar classified a protected speciesFirst reaction from dismayed costumers:“Boohoohoo! Sniff!”
  2009, Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book, page 28

Definition of "sniff"

sniff

verb

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noun

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interjection

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