verb / noun
sniff
SNIF/snɪf/
A short audible inhalation through the nose.
An adult brings a cut orange close for a gentle sniff.
Etymology
Sniffen imitated the sound of short nasal breaths. The meaning developed from drawing air through the nose to deliberately doing so to perceive a smell.
In context
Somehow, he’s able to sniff out the faint odour of frozen flesh - even through a metre of fresh snow! In the race to survive, the wolverine wins by a nose.
More examples
- The dog sniffs my shoes when I come home.
- He gives a loud sniff and reaches for a tissue.
- She answers with a dismissive sniff and turns away.
Forms
sniff · sniffs · sniffed · sniffing
Similar words
- inhale
- Means breathing in, not necessarily audibly or through the nose.
- snuffle
- Suggests repeated noisy nasal breaths, often from congestion.