SNUFF
What does "SNUFF" mean?
To extinguish a candle or flame, or powdered tobacco inhaled through the nose.
Meanings
- To extinguish a candle or flame, often by pinching or covering it; often with 'out'. She snuffed out the candle and the room went dark.
- To put an end to something abruptly; to suppress or destroy. The new rules snuffed out any hope of reform. figurative
- Powdered tobacco that is inhaled through the nose. The old gentleman took a pinch of snuff from a silver box.
- To inhale or sniff something, especially through the nose. The hounds snuffed at the cold trail.
Word origin
The 'extinguish' sense comes from Middle English 'snoffe', the burnt part of a candle wick; the 'tobacco' sense comes from Dutch 'snuf', short for 'snuftabak' (tobacco for sniffing).
Remember it
SNUFF the candle and you SNUFF the tobacco — one kills a flame, one you sniff up; both share the sharp 'snff' of the nose.
A little poem
Two fingers, one breath-
the small gold tongue of the flame
swallowed into smoke.
haiku
Wordplay
- The candlemaker quit tobacco but still ended every day the same way: he snuffed it out.
What it teaches
It takes a whole evening to light a room and one pinch to end it; endings ask far less effort than beginnings.
Quick facts
What does SNUFF mean?
To extinguish a candle or flame, or powdered tobacco inhaled through the nose.
Is SNUFF a valid word?
Yes — SNUFF is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is SNUFF?
SNUFF has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does SNUFF come from?
The 'extinguish' sense comes from Middle English 'snoffe', the burnt part of a candle wick; the 'tobacco' sense comes from Dutch 'snuf', short for 'snuftabak' (tobacco for sniffing).
What can SNUFF teach us?
It takes a whole evening to light a room and one pinch to end it; endings ask far less effort than beginnings.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.