snuff
1- to draw in through the nose by inhaling.
- to perceive by or as by smelling; sniff.
- to examine by smelling, as an animal does.
- to draw air into the nostrils by inhaling, as to smell something; snuffle: After snuffing around, he found the gas leak.
- to draw powdered tobacco into the nostrils; take snuff.
- Obsolete. to express disdain, contempt, displeasure, etc., by sniffing (often followed by at).
- an act of snuffing; an inhalation through the nose; a sniff.
- smell, scent, or odor.
- a preparation of tobacco, either powdered and taken into the nostrils by inhalation or ground and placed between the cheek and gum.
- a pinch of such tobacco.
- up to snuff, Informal.
- British.not easily imposed upon; shrewd; sharp.
- up to a certain standard; satisfactory: His performance wasn't up to snuff.
Origin of snuff
1snuff
2- the charred or partly consumed portion of a candlewick.
- a thing of little or no value, especially if left over.
- to cut off or remove the snuff of (candles, tapers, etc.).
- snuff out,
- to extinguish: to snuff out a candle.
- to suppress; crush: to snuff out opposition.
- Informal.to kill or murder: Many lives were snuffed out during the epidemic.
Origin of snuff
2Examples from the Web for snuff
Contemporary Examples of snuff
He could imagine himself an Islamist avenger like that masked monster in black who appears in the ISIS snuff videos.
He packed a large pinch of the snuff against his bottom gum.
Even as Valle sat in court this week, the 364 various groups on DFN included one called Cannibalism, Snuff with 835 members.
Look in my face while I snuff the sidle of evening, Talk honestly, for no one else hears you, and I stay only a minute longer.
Pelosi and Reid will work to snuff out any legislation that could force Obama to take unpopular stands.
Historical Examples of snuff
When he had said it, he took a culminating pinch of snuff, and put his box in his pocket.
A Tale of Two CitiesCharles Dickens
The head of the animal was tossed; then it seemed to snuff the air, and it gave a shriek.
Homeward BoundJames Fenimore Cooper
She has left off chewing and smoking, having found a refuge in snuff.
I must have a care I don't get some of that snuff out of his nose.
The Politician Out-WittedSamuel Low
Against the regulations of the College, he used to bring in snuff to the other scholars.
A Zola DictionaryJ. G. Patterson
snuff
1- (tr) to inhale through the nose
- (when intr, often foll by at) (esp of an animal) to examine by sniffing
- an act or the sound of snuffing
Word Origin for snuff
snuff
2- finely powdered tobacco for sniffing up the nostrils or less commonly for chewing
- a small amount of this
- any powdered substance, esp one for sniffing up the nostrils
- up to snuff informal
- in good health or in good condition
- mainly Britishnot easily deceived
- (intr) to use or inhale snuff
Word Origin for snuff
snuff
3- (often foll by out) to extinguish (a light from a naked flame, esp a candle)
- to cut off the charred part of (the wick of a candle, etc)
- (usually foll by out) informal to suppress; put an end to
- snuff it British informal to die
- the burned portion of the wick of a candle
Word Origin for snuff
Word Origin and History for snuff
"to cut or pinch off the burned part of a candle wick," mid-15c., from noun snoffe "burned part of a candle wick" (late 14c.), of unknown origin, perhaps related to snuff (v.2). The meaning "to die" is from 1865; that of "to kill" is from 1932; snuff-film, originally an urban legend, is from 1975.
"draw in through the nose," 1520s, from Dutch or Flemish snuffen "to sniff, snuff," related to Dutch snuiven "to sniff," from Proto-Germanic *snuf- (cf. Middle High German snupfe, German Schnupfen "head-cold"), imitative of the sound of drawing air through the nose (see snout). Related: Snuffed; snuffing.
"powdered tobacco to be inhaled," 1680s, from Dutch or Flemish snuf, shortened form of snuftabak "snuff tobacco," from snuffen "to sniff, snuff" (see snuff (v.2)). The practice became fashionable in England c.1680. Slang phrase up to snuff "knowing, sharp, wide-awake, not likely to be deceived" is from 1811; the exact sense is obscure unless it refers to the "elevating" properties of snuff.
snuff
(snŭf)- To inhale something audibly through the nose; sniff.
- A preparation of finely pulverized tobacco that can be drawn up into the nostrils by inhaling.
- A medicated powder inhaled through or blown into the nose.
Idioms and Phrases with snuff
snuff
In addition to the idiom beginning with snuff
- snuff out
also see:
- up to par (snuff)