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Synonyms

sniffer

American  
[snif-er] / ˈsnɪf ər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that sniffs.

  2. a device or mechanism for detecting something.

sniffer British  
/ ˈsnɪfə /

noun

  1. a device for detecting hidden substances such as drugs or explosives, esp by their odour

  2. a computer program or device used to monitor, detect, and capture data on a network

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sniffer

First recorded in 1860–65; sniff + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In the two weeks since Guthrie's disappearance, the FBI and local police have conducted a massive search operation involving helicopters, sniffer dogs and hundreds of officers, while taking in thousands of call-in tips.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

In the two weeks since Guthrie's disappearance, the FBI and Pima County sheriff's officers have conducted a massive search operation involving helicopters, sniffer dogs, hundreds of officers, and thousands of tips called in.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

But it is this strong smell, as well as the smell associated with their insect poo - frass - that makes them ideal to be found by sniffer dogs.

From BBC • Aug. 30, 2025

Now, UK government scientists have been fighting back, with an unusual arsenal including sniffer dogs, drones and nuclear waste models.

From BBC • Aug. 30, 2025

Her ashen hair sits in a quivering pile atop her head and her spectacles, if not teetering on the end of her sniffer, hang from a sterling chain to rest upon her ample bosom.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.