snorkel

American  

[snawr-kuhl] / ˈsnɔr kəl /

noun

• snorkels
  plural

1. British, snort.  a device permitting a submarine to remain submerged for prolonged periods, consisting of tubes extended above the surface of the water to take in air for the diesel engine and for general ventilation and to discharge exhaust gases and foul air.

2. a hard rubber or plastic tube through which a swimmer can breathe while moving face down at or just below the surface of the water.

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verb (used without object)

• snorkels,
  present (3rd person singular)
• snorkeled,
  past participle,  past
• snorkelled,
  past participle,  past (especially British)
• snorkeling,
  present participle
• snorkelling
  present participle (especially British)

1. to engage in snorkeling.

snorkel British  

/ ˈsnɔːkəl /

noun

1. a device allowing a swimmer to breathe while face down on the surface of the water, consisting of a bent tube fitting into the mouth and projecting above the surface

2. (on a submarine) a retractable vertical device containing air-intake and exhaust pipes for the engines and general ventilation: its use permits extended periods of submergence at periscope depth

3. military a similar device on a tank, enabling it to cross shallow water obstacles

4. a type of parka or anorak with a hood that projects beyond the face

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verb

1. (intr) to swim with a snorkel

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• snorkeler
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• snorkels
  plural

Participles

• snorkeling
  present
• snorkelling
  present
• snorkeled
  past
• snorkelled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• snorkel
  simple
• snorkels
  simple
• have snorkeled
  perfect
• have snorkelled
  perfect
• has snorkeled
  perfect
• has snorkelled
  perfect
• am snorkeling
  progressive
• am snorkelling
  progressive
• are snorkeling
  progressive
• are snorkelling
  progressive
• is snorkeling
  progressive
• is snorkelling
  progressive
• have been snorkeling
  perfect progressive
• have been snorkelling
  perfect progressive
• has been snorkeling
  perfect progressive
• has been snorkelling
  perfect progressive

Past

• snorkeled
  simple
• snorkelled
  simple
• had snorkeled
  perfect
• had snorkelled
  perfect
• was snorkeling
  progressive
• was snorkelling
  progressive
• were snorkeling
  progressive
• were snorkelling
  progressive
• had been snorkeling
  perfect progressive
• had been snorkelling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will snorkel
  simple
• will have snorkeled
  perfect
• will have snorkelled
  perfect
• will be snorkeling
  progressive
• will be snorkelling
  progressive
• will have been snorkeling
  perfect progressive
• will have been snorkelling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of snorkel

First recorded in 1940–45, snorkel is from the German word Schnorchel air intake

Explanation

When you snorkel, you swim near the surface of the water while wearing a mask, fins, and a snorkel through which you can breathe. People like to snorkel in coral reefs, where they can see all kinds of ocean life. If you've ever taken a beach vacation, you may have had a chance to snorkel, which is similar to scuba diving except that you stay very close to the water's surface. When you snorkel, you swim slowly, watching for interesting fish and other sea creatures, and breathe through a tube that's also called a snorkel. The word was originally a nautical term for a submarine air shaft, from German navy slang, Schnorchel, or "snout."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snorkel snorkels snorkeled snorkelled snorkeling snorkelling

But don’t blindly book a snorkel cruise from a business or reserve that boutique hotel in the middle of nowhere without checking reviews.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026

With no bogs nearby, Rutter says practising for the championships is somewhat difficult, but he always checks his snorkel isn't leaking and his flippers still fit.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2025

He dove off a boat to snorkel with his daughter in the ocean, then couldn’t “swim and generate enough power to get myself back to the boat.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2025

Miu told investigators that he was using a snorkel and goggles to look for a lost cellphone.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 11, 2024

Showing up in class wearing nothing but a snorkel and a single plaid sock.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

Heather Hamilton, who snorkels off the coast of Cornwall virtually every week with her father David, has swum through large blooms of salps, a species that looks a bit like a jellyfish.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2025

One morning in mid-August, on a tributary creek downstream from the dams, a group of men wearing wetsuits, masks and snorkels swam in clear pools, scanning the water for small fish.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2024

Some contestants accessorized their snorkels, masks and flippers with more flamboyant touches — one carried a giant plastic toad on their head, another had a bathing cap adorned with flowers.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 27, 2023

Equipped with masks and snorkels, we followed a local conservationist out to where a coral nursery, consisting of a framework of interconnected metal poles, was laid out in a sandy area on the ocean floor.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 14, 2023

Mirren and Johnny go in the water with snorkels and fins.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

We snorkeled for more than an hour with Marina, who pointed out sculptural coral as mesmerizing as the fish.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2022

We called it the “Cove,” the beach where I fished and bodysurfed and snorkeled and caroused with my brother, sister, cousins and friends.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2021

Multiple generations of Caymanians have taken the quick swim out and snorkeled with their children.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2021

Her last international trip came in 2000, when at age 86 she climbed a mountain, trekked through rain forests and snorkeled in the coral reefs off the Caribbean island of Tobago.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 13, 2019

Probably there are only jellyfish and tiny crabs, but even with those slim pickings we have snorkeled at the tiny beach, always.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

She snorkelled through creeks and packed in lab time to study the water-filtering bivalves and their intriguing behaviours — such as bundling their larvae into minnow-shaped lures to hitch rides on hungry fish.

From Nature ● Apr. 25, 2017

But I do cherish thoughts of snorkeling with playful sea lion pups.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Well, wouldn’t you go snorkeling around a solemn mass entombment if you got the chance, too?

From Slate ● May 16, 2026

But that also covers snorkeling expeditions, kayaking excursions along the reef and guided stargazing quests.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025

But at the same time, those memories — snorkeling in Bali, walking through Chinatown in Singapore, standing on the Great Wall in China — stick with him.

From Salon ● Nov. 27, 2024

He jokes that he wants to eat all the fish that we saw while snorkeling.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

Diving and snorkelling accidents are relatively rare in the Maldives, although several fatalities have been reported in recent years.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

Born in 1951, in Dunfermline, Fife, Allan became interested in snorkelling and diving after watching Jacques Cousteau's film, The Silent World, a 1956 documentary which was one of the first to use underwater filming.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026

Passengers aboard were transported by tenders to the secluded island – home to a luxury resort and a research station - for a day trip with the option of hiking or snorkelling.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2025

Not for the faint of heart or faint of smell, bog snorkelling is often considered an acquired taste.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2025

The inquest heard that Anna was snorkelling with her father, who moved away to see her younger brother.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2025