snivel
[ sniv-uh l ]
/ ˈsnɪv əl /
verb (used without object), sniv·eled, sniv·el·ing or (especially British) sniv·elled, sniv·el·ling.
verb (used with object), sniv·eled, sniv·el·ing or (especially British) sniv·elled, sniv·el·ling.
to utter with sniveling or sniffling.
noun
Nearby words
Origin of snivel
1275–1325; Middle English snyvele; compare Old English snyflung (gerund), derivative of snofl mucus; cognate with Low German snüfeln
Related formssniv·el·er; especially British, sniv·el·ler, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for snivel
British Dictionary definitions for snivel
snivel
/ (ˈsnɪvəl) /
verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled
(intr) to sniffle as a sign of distress, esp contemptibly
to utter (something) tearfully; whine
(intr) to have a runny nose
noun
an instance of snivelling
Derived Formssniveller, nounsnivelling, adjective, nounsnivelly, adjective
Word Origin for snivel
C14 snivelen; related to Old English snyflung mucus, Dutch snuffelen to smell out, Old Norse snoppa snout
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for snivel
snivel
Old English *snyflan "to run at the nose" (cf. snyflung "running of the nose"), related to snofl "nasal mucus;" see snout. Meaning "to be in an (affected) tearful state" is from 1680s. Related: Snivelled; snivelling. As a noun from 14c. Melville coined snivelization (1849). Middle English had contemptuous term snivelard (n.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper