Etymology

snuff

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Today it means: Finely ground or pulverized tobacco (or other plant derivative) intended for use by being sniffed or snorted into the nose. Full definition →

Middle Dutch snuffen ← Dutch snuf
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snuff · noun, verb1

  1. Dutch · derived fromsnuf“snuff”
  2. Middle Dutch · derived fromsnuffen“to snuff, sniff, snuffle”
  3. English todaysnuff

Late Middle English, from Middle Dutch snuffen (“to snuff, sniff, snuffle”). Related to Dutch snuiven (“to sniff”), Middle Low German snûve (“pose, head-cold”), German Schnupfen (“head-cold”). The noun is probably from Dutch snuf (“snuff”), an abbreviation of snuftabak, snuiftabak (“snuff”). Related to sniff (compare Dutch snuffen (“snuff”), German schnupf (“snuff”), French schnouff (“junk”)).

snuff · noun2

  1. Middle English · inherited fromsnoffe
  2. English todaysnuff

From Middle English snoffe, snuffe, of uncertain origin. Compare Middle Dutch snuf, snof (“snuff”), Dutch sneuvelen (“to die in battle”).

snuff · verb3

  1. Middle English · inherited fromsnuffen
  2. English todaysnuff

From Middle English snuffen, snoffen, from the noun (see Etymology 2 above).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.