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snuff

[snuhf]

Example Sentences Origin

verb (used with object)

to draw in through the nose by inhaling.

to perceive by or as by smelling; sniff.

to examine by smelling, as an animal does.

verb (used without object)

to draw air into the nostrils by inhaling, as to smell something; snuffle: After snuffing around, he found the gas leak.

to draw powdered tobacco into the nostrils; take snuff.

Obsolete. to express disdain, contempt, displeasure, etc., by sniffing (often followed by at).

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Snuff is one of our favorite verbs.

So is peculate. Does it mean:

to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.

to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

noun

an act of snuffing; an inhalation through the nose; a sniff.

smell, scent, or odor.

a preparation of tobacco, either powdered and taken into the nostrils by inhalation or ground and placed between the cheek and gum.

10.

a pinch of such tobacco.

Idiom

11.

up to snuff, Informal.

British. not easily imposed upon; shrewd; sharp.

up to a certain standard; satisfactory: His performance wasn't up to snuff.

Origin:
1520–30; < Dutch snuffen

Related forms

snuff·ing·ly, adverb

Example Sentences

Since few people have snuff boxes now, the new logos are meant to be incorporated as email signatures.

When they start doing real teaching, the other faux-professors with be sure and snuff them, get them gone by an means necessary.

They all express their determination to revive the decrepit economy and snuff out corruption and poverty.

EXPAND

Since few people have snuff boxes now, the new logos are meant to be incorporated as email signatures.

When they start doing real teaching, the other faux-professors with be sure and snuff them, get them gone by an means necessary.

They all express their determination to revive the decrepit economy and snuff out corruption and poverty.

Some snuff kits have been found bearing powder from the vilca tree, whose seeds are rich in hallucinogens.

The asphalt-based products appear to have a reputation among some for being not quite up to snuff.

No need to release any gruesome snuff photos to prove it.

Images of the tower helped to sell souvenirs from handkerchiefs to snuff boxes to umbrellas to chocolate.

Geography didn't need the spouse's speciality, and the message came through loud and clear that the spouse wasn't up to snuff.

Given consumers' dependence on housing wealth, a meltdown in the mortgage market alone could be enough to snuff out the recovery.

Most of us snuff out the question instantly or toy with it occasionally as a harmless mental escape hatch.

Attempts at evading the payment of the internal tax upon tobacco, snuff and cigars have been growing more frequent of late.

For ten bucks, the man adept at making snuff boxes and fake diamond rings builds a tiny vascular clamp.

He'll receive it next spring provided that his thesis is up to snuff.

States were allowed to bring their existing toll roads into the system provided they were up to snuff.

Colors were vibrant and natural, but the details in low-lit scenes weren't up to snuff.

It is vital that they now use patience and precision to snuff out the rebellions-and that they negotiate where possible.

Unfortunately for the spooks, their equipment wasn't always up to snuff.

And retreating energy costs may yet snuff out even these faint, inflationary embers.

The attack dog can rush, pounce and quickly snuff weaker thugs.

He said eBay is working to keep its wildlife policy up to snuff.

It represented raw, uncompromising power-a finger squeeze and it could snuff out a life.

Some conflicts flare and then snuff out on their own unless either party provides new matches and gasoline.

The team thinks the latter could have been used to snuff up powdered doses.

She watches over the house, ready to snuff out the slightest sign of life under her roof.

The ethics course is partly meant to snuff out incipient violent radicalism.

He pulls out a snuff tin, puts a handful in his mouth before heading back to see if another job comes.

Bringing our drinking water infrastructure up to snuff will cost billions.

Instead, the dispute centers on who would decide when the musicians were no longer up to snuff and should be let.

See if they are up to snuff with the selection of excellent candidates out there for their positions.

Weeks said she then saw a custodian, who took off his denim jacket and helped snuff the flames.

Moreover, such protests as have taken place have been easy to snuff out.

Economists warning that soaring energy costs will certainly slow economic growth and maybe snuff it out completely.

Pernicious corruption is so chronically pervasive that it can't be snuff out.

One bullet from a fair distance is sufficient to snuff out the lives of his victims.

COLLAPSE

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun

the charred or partly consumed portion of a candlewick.

a thing of little or no value, especially if left over.

verb (used with object)

to cut off or remove the snuff of (candles, tapers, etc.).

Verb phrase

snuff out,

to extinguish: to snuff out a candle.

to suppress; crush: to snuff out opposition.

Informal. to kill or murder: Many lives were snuffed out during the epidemic.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English snoffe < ?

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To snuff

Collins

World English Dictionary

snuff¹ (snʌf)

—vb (when intr, often foll by at)
1.	(tr) to inhale through the nose
2.	(esp of an animal) to examine by sniffing

—n
3.	an act or the sound of snuffing

[C16: probably from Middle Dutch snuffen to snuffle, ultimately of imitative origin]

'snuffer¹

—n

snuff² (snʌf)

—n
1.	finely powdered tobacco for sniffing up the nostrils or less commonly for chewing
2.	a small amount of this
3.	any powdered substance, esp one for sniffing up the nostrils
4.	informal up to snuff
	a. in good health or in good condition
	b. chiefly (Brit) not easily deceived

—vb
5.	(intr) to use or inhale snuff

[C17: from Dutch snuf, shortened from snuftabale, literally: tobacco for snuffing; see snuff¹]

snuff³ (snʌf)

—vb
1.	(often foll by out) to extinguish (a light from a naked flame, esp a candle)
2.	to cut off the charred part of (the wick of a candle, etc)
3.	informal (usually foll by out) to suppress; put an end to
4.	informal (Brit) snuff it to die

—n
5.	the burned portion of the wick of a candle

[C14 snoffe, of obscure origin]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

snuff

"to cut or pinch off the burned part of a candle wick," c.1450, from noun snoffe "burned part of a candle wick" (1382), of unknown origin, perhaps related to snuff (v.2). The meaning "to die" is from 1865; that of "to kill" is from 1932; snuff-film, urban legend, is from 1975.

EXPAND

snuff

"draw in through the nose," 1527, from Du. or Flem. snuffen "to sniff, snuff," related to Du. snuiven "to sniff," from P.Gmc. *snuf- (cf. M.H.G. snupfe, Ger. Schnupfen "head-cold"), imitative of the sound of drawing air through the nose.

snuff

"powdered tobacco to be inhaled," 1683, from Du. or Flem. snuf, shortened form of snuftabak "snuff tobacco," from snuffen "to sniff, snuff" (see snuff (v.2)). The practice became fashionable in England c.1680. Snuff-box is attested from 1687.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

snuff (snŭf)
v. snuffed, snuff·ing, snuffs
To inhale something audibly through the nose; sniff. n.

A preparation of finely pulverized tobacco that can be drawn up into the nostrils by inhaling.
A medicated powder inhaled through or blown into the nose.

Slang Dictionary

snuff (so) (out) definition

tv.
to kill someone. : Max really wanted to snuff the eyewitness out, once and for all.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

snuff

In addition to the idiom beginning with snuff, also see up to par (snuff).

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

snuff

powdered preparation of tobacco used by inhalation or by dipping-that is, rubbing on the teeth and gums. Manufacture involves grinding the tobacco and subjecting it to repeated fermentations. Snuffs may be scented with attar of roses, lavender, cloves, jasmine, etc.

Learn more about snuff with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com

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musty parica rappee smokeless tobacco sneesh snoose

Slang

snuff snuff film

snuff it up to snuff

Idioms & Phrases

snuff

up to par (snuff)

Matching Quote

"I would rather ... have a nod from an American, than a snuff- box from an emperor."

-George Gordon Noel Byron

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