Sekirov Dictionary

sniff

/snɪf/

verb 7
noun 5
exclamation 1
forms 5
phrases 3

verb7

•
To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something).
- The dog sniffed around the park, searching for a nice scent.
- I sniffed the meat to see whether it had gone off.
•
(slang) To inhale drugs (usually cocaine) through the nose, usually in powder form.
- Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue. — 1980
•
(figurative) To be dismissive or contemptuous of something; used with at.
- This opportunity is not to be sniffed at.
•
To say (something) while sniffing, such as in case of illness or unhappiness, or in contempt.
- "He's never coming back, is he?" she sniffed while looking at a picture of him.
To pry; to investigate in an interfering manner.
To intercept and analyse packets of data being transmitted over a network.
•
To perceive vaguely.
- I don't know, of course, what your precious Radicals are planning to do, and I don't want to know; but I can sniff trouble in the air, nevertheless. — 1952

noun5

•
An instance of sniffing.
- She gave the flowers a quick sniff to check they were real.
A quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose.
•
(informal) A brief perception, or tiny amount.
- Telecoms firms want a sniff, having invested heavily in ultra-fast, low-latency 5G spectrum. — 2021
•
(slang) Cocaine.
- He sold us some sniff and blow. — 2008
(slang) A toddler or young child.

exclamation1

•
A short inhalation sound, sometimes associated with crying.
- a wild boar is laughing and Obelix is crying Wild boar classified a protected species First reaction from dismayed costumers: “Boohoohoo! Sniff!” — 2009

forms

sniffed · sniffing · sniffeth · sniffs · sniffest

Phrases with sniff

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