sniff
to draw air through the nose in short, audible inhalations.
to clear the nose by so doing; sniffle.
to smell by short inhalations.
to show disdain, contempt, etc., by or as by sniffing.
to perceive by or as by smelling: to sniff a scandal.
to inhale through the nose: to sniff the air.
an act of sniffing; a single, short, audible inhalation.
the sound made by such an act.
a scent or odor perceived: a sniff of perfume.
Origin of sniff
1Other words from sniff
- sniff·ing·ly, adverb
Words Nearby sniff
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sniff in a sentence
So you have to position your business so that you have measurable audience reach that can survive the sniff test of very sophisticated marketers.
As the industry evolves, the holding company model might be the future of esports | Alexander Lee | February 8, 2022 | DigidayShe charges into the trees, giving the base of each trunk a cursory sniff.
As the backbone of the open web, publishers may consider tactics that claim to offer the allure of scale but don’t pass the sniff test when it comes to privacy.
Publishers are no longer choosing between data utility and privacy to increase their bottom line | Trevor Grigoruk | November 3, 2021 | DigidayOne of the final sniff tests happens when the car is fully assembled.
That new car smell? It’s got a gassy explanation. | Rob Stumpf | September 19, 2021 | Popular-ScienceIt’s extremely important to keep dogs and other pets away from porcupines, as these rodents won’t hesitate to defend themselves, and can take even a curious sniff as a threat if they feel vulnerable.
How to not get pricked by a North American porcupine | Natalie Wallington | September 17, 2021 | Popular-Science
Look at Billy Carter, my sweater-vested companions sniff derisively; look at Clinton.
Let Us Now Praise Famous Rednecks and Their Unjustly Unsung Kin | Allison Glock | August 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut even paranoid melodramatic self-aggrandizers sniff out nefarious and tentacular plots from time to time.
Amazon’s Fight With Hachette Strands An Author In The Crossfire | David Shafer | June 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIf Letizia did know how to sniff out a media rat in her camp, it was undoubtedly due to her professional training as a journalist.
Meet the New Queen of Spain - 41-Year Old Divorcee And Commoner Letizia Ortiz | Tom Sykes | June 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDuane and Dicky lope backstage afterwards to “do some sniff,” as Dicky terms it.
Stacks: Hitting the Note with the Allman Brothers Band | Grover Lewis | March 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTLate in the afternoon, the day being warm, I raised the window again and leaned out to get a sniff of air.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show | Robert W. Chambers | February 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe was coming out, like myself, to sniff the air; and I was not surprised, for its sweetness after the rain was intoxicating.
Three More John Silence Stories | Algernon BlackwoodWatch sat down gravely near it, and gave an approving sniff at intervals.
The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler WarnerThe warm wind bore to them the sniff of the sand-dunes, spiced groves, and genii's islands far to southward.
God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis"She wouldn't be of much use for fighting men," remarked Walter, with a slight sniff of contempt.
Elsie's Vacation and After Events | Martha FinleyJoyce looked up with a flashing glance, and turned to Ellen, who received the notice with a sniff and a restrained smile.
Joyce's Investments | Fannie E. Newberry
British Dictionary definitions for sniff
/ (snɪf) /
to inhale through the nose, usually in short rapid audible inspirations, as for the purpose of identifying a scent, for clearing a congested nasal passage, or for taking a drug or intoxicating fumes
(when intr, often foll by at) to perceive or attempt to perceive (a smell) by inhaling through the nose
the act or sound of sniffing
a smell perceived by sniffing, esp a faint scent
Origin of sniff
1Derived forms of sniff
- sniffing, noun, adjective
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
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