Meanings
nounsniffing position (plural sniffing positions)
plural sniffing positions
- medicineA combination of atlantooccipital extension and neck flexion, considered optimal for direct laryngoscopy.
Synonyms: sniffing-the-morning-air position
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA combination of atlantooccipital extension and neck flexion, considered optimal for direct laryngoscopy.
Origin
So named as the person appears to be sniffing the morning breeze.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
sniffing position. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sniffing%20position
MLA
“sniffing position.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sniffing%20position. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sniffing position,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sniffing%20position.
Source: sniffing position on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.