sniff

[snɪf]

[snəf]

[snɪf]

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An itch in your nose makes you want to sniff.

When you need some fresh air or are curious about something, you might put your nose up close and take a little snuff - that's what we call it when you sniff. You can sniff out food if you're hungry and walking through the kitchen, looking for something tasty to eat. If someone is being sneaky or hiding something, you might sniff around to figure out what they're doing. And of course, your nose gets a bit tickly and needs some snuff when you have allergies - that's usually during spring and fall seasons, but it can happen at any time.

How common is "sniff"?

Word sniff is considered uncommon in modern English.
It appears most frequently in fiction texts and less often in other writings.

Definitions

noun

An instance of sniffing.
Example: She gave the flowers a quick sniff to check they were real.
A quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose
A brief perception, or tiny amount.
Cocaine.

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verb

To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something.
Example: I sniffed the meat to see whether it had gone off.
To say something while sniffing, for example in case of illness or unhappiness, or in contempt.
Example: "He's never coming back, is he?" she sniffed while looking at a picture of him.
To perceive vaguely
Example: I can sniff trouble coming from the basement.
To be dismissive or contemptuous of something.
Example: This opportunity is not to be sniffed at.
To intercept and analyse packets of data being transmitted over a network.
To inhale drugs in powder form (usually cocaine) through the nose.

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interjection

A short inhalation sound, sometimes associated with crying.

Real examples of "sniff" in context

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Interview

I have a scratch and sniff of pole rod spice.

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