snuffle

[ snuhf-uhl ]

/ ˈsnʌf əl /

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verb (used without object), snuf·fled, snuf·fling.

to draw air into the nose for the purpose of smelling something; snuff.

to draw the breath or mucus through the nostrils in an audible or noisy manner; sniffle.

to speak through the nose or with a nasal twang.

to whine; snivel.

verb (used with object), snuf·fled, snuf·fling.

to utter in a snuffling or nasal tone.

noun

an act or sound of snuffling.

(the) snuffles, a condition of the nose, as from a cold, causing snuffling.

a nasal tone of voice.

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Origin of snuffle

First recorded in 1575–85; from Dutch snuffelen “to nose (in something),” derivative of snuffen “to sniff,” with -el- frequentative suffix; see snuff¹, -le

OTHER WORDS FROM snuffle

snuffler, nounsnuf·fling·ly, adverbsnuffly, adjective

Words nearby snuffle

snuff, snuffbox, snuff-dipping, snuffer, snuff film, snuffle, snuff movie, snuff out, snuff stick, snuffy, snug

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use snuffle in a sentence

Heralded by the snuffle of the horses, light began glimmering over a chaos of lines and shadows, pale as mother-o'-pearl.
Villa Rubein and Other Stories|John Galsworthy
Smoke: Snuffle the nose and raise the fingers of both hands several times, rubbing the fingers against each other.
Travels in the Interior of North America, 1832-1834, Part III (the Text Being Chapters XXVIII-XXXIII of the London Edition, 1843, and the Appendix a Combination of the Appendices of the London and German [Coblentz, 1839] Editions)|Maximilian, Prinz von Wied
If he snuffle at the nose, he must snuffle cheerfully and with hope.
Hints to Pilgrims|Charles Stephen Brooks
Glory, who had been dozing in the sun, rose and prowled restlessly over to snuffle at the woodpile.
The Duck-footed Hound|James Arthur Kjelgaard

There came a kind of Highland snuffle out of the man that raised my dander strangely.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 11 (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson

British Dictionary definitions for snuffle

snuffle

/ (ˈsnʌfəl) /

verb

(intr) to breathe noisily or with difficulty

to say or speak in a nasal tone

(intr) to snivel

noun

an act or the sound of snuffling

a nasal tone or voice

the snuffles a condition characterized by snuffling

Derived forms of snuffle

snuffler, nounsnuffly, adjective

Word Origin for snuffle

C16: from Low German or Dutch snuffelen; see snuff 1, snivel

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

Medical definitions for snuffle

snuffle

[ snŭf′əl ]

To breathe noisily, as through a blocked nose.

The act of snuffling.

snuffles Obstructed nasal respiration, especially in a newborn, sometimes due to congenital syphilis.

snuffle

Origin of snuffle

OTHER WORDS FROM snuffle

Words nearby snuffle

Words related to snuffle

How to use snuffle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for snuffle

Derived forms of snuffle

Word Origin for snuffle

Medical definitions for snuffle