sniff

present singular third person sniffs · participle present sniffing · participle past sniffed · past sniffed

1. ambitransitiveTo make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something).

   I sniffed the meat to see whether it had gone off.

   3 more examples

   The dog sniffed around the park, searching for a nice scent.

   Carrot ran past him to get to the barrel first, and peered down at the cowering Catweazle. “No rats, Dad,” he said. “What's that terrible pong, then?” said Mr Bennett, sniffing.

   1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 21

   Merely sniffing this stuff [cheese] fulfills one’s minimum daily fat requirement; actually eating it is the main cause of holiday season hospital visits.

   1994 December 18, Donn Esmonde, “Before slathering on the cheese sauce, here’s some advice”, in The Buffalo News, final edition, Buffalo, N.Y., →ISSN, →OCLC, page E-1, column 1

   1. ambitransitivetransitiveTo 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.

   2. UKambitransitiveslangTo inhale drugs (usually cocaine) through the nose, usually in powder form.

      Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

      1980, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, directors, Airplane!, spoken by Steve McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges)

      Synonyms: snort

   3. ambitransitivefigurativelyTo be dismissive or contemptuous of something; used with at.

      This opportunity is not to be sniffed at.

   4. ambitransitivebroadlytransitiveTo 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, Isabelle Hughes, Lorena Telforth, page 223

2. intransitiveTo pry; to investigate in an interfering manner.

   COOMBE: He got the clinch only last week — eighteen months. You see it's no good having anybody here as ain't got a^([sic]) unblemished character. We don't want to have the bluebottles come sniffing round here, do we?

   1882, Henry Herman, Henry Arthur Jones, The Silver King

   1. intransitivecomputingTo intercept and analyse packets of data being transmitted over a network.

      packet sniffer

plural sniffs

1. countableAn instance of sniffing.

   She gave the flowers a quick sniff to check they were real.

2. countableA quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose.
3. colloquialcountableA brief perception, or tiny amount.

   Telecoms firms want a sniff, having invested heavily in ultra-fast, low-latency 5G spectrum.

   2021 December 18, “The billionaire battle for the metaverse”, in The Economist, →ISSN

   1 more example

   Tottenham did have a sniff of goal when Defoe's drilled cross just eluded his strike partner at the far post but their best effort came early in the second half when Ryan Fredericks cut in from the right before firing into the side netting.

   2011 November 3, Chris Bevan, “Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport

4. slanguncountableCocaine.

   He sold us some sniff and blow.

   2008, Tammy Anderson, Neither Villain nor Victim

5. countableslangA toddler or young child.

1. 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, Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book, page 28