Wordul · all words

verb · 1 syllable · /snɪf/

SNIFF

What does "SNIFF" mean?

To draw air audibly through the nose, often to smell something.

Meanings

  1. To draw air in through the nose in short, audible breaths, often to detect a smell. The dog sniffed the ground, following a trail.
  2. To express disdain or contempt by an audible intake of breath. "How quaint," she sniffed, turning away.
  3. To detect or suspect something, especially with 'out'. Investigators sniffed out the source of the leak. figurative
  4. An act or sound of sniffing. He gave a quick sniff at the milk before pouring it.

Word origin

Middle English 'sniffen', of imitative origin, echoing the sound of breath drawn sharply through the nose; related to 'snuff' and 'snivel'.

Remember it

SNIFF ends in a double 'f' you can almost hear — two short puffs of air through the nose.

A little poem

Rain on hot pavement-
the nose remembers a street
the mind had let go.

haiku

What it teaches

Trust the nose before the eyes: instinct often smells trouble that reason hasn't seen yet.

Quick facts

What does SNIFF mean?

To draw air audibly through the nose, often to smell something.

Is SNIFF a valid word?

Yes — SNIFF is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is SNIFF?

SNIFF has 5 letters and 1 syllable.

Where does SNIFF come from?

Middle English 'sniffen', of imitative origin, echoing the sound of breath drawn sharply through the nose; related to 'snuff' and 'snivel'.

What can SNIFF teach us?

Trust the nose before the eyes: instinct often smells trouble that reason hasn't seen yet.

How players do

Be the first to solve it.

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