I. sniff1 /snɪf/
verb[
Date: 1300-1400;
Origin: From the sound]
1. [intransitive] to breathe air into your nose noisily, for example when you are crying or have a cold:
Margaret sniffed miserably and nodded. Stop sniffing and blow your nose.2. [intransitive and transitive] to breathe air in through your nose in order to smell something:
He opened the milk and sniffed it.sniff at The dog was sniffing at the carpet.3. [transitive] to say something in a way that shows you think something is not good enough:
‘Is that all?’ she sniffed.4. [transitive] to take a harmful drug by breathing it up your nose ⇒
snort:
kids who sniff gluesniff at something phrasal verb1. something is not to be sniffed at especially British English spoken used to say that something is good enough to be accepted or considered seriously:
An 8% salary increase is not to be sniffed at.2. to refuse something in a proud way, or behave as if something is not good enough for you:
He sniffed at my choice of restaurants and suggested his own favorite.sniff something ↔ out phrasal verb1. to discover or find something by its smell:
A customs officer came round with a dog to sniff out drugs.2. informal to find out or discover something:
Vic’s been trying to sniff out where you went last night. [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
II. sniff2 noun [countable]1. when you breathe in air noisily through your nose, for example in order to smell something, because you have a cold, or in order to show your disapproval:
a sniff of disapproval She gave a loud sniff.2. British English informal a small amount or sign of something
Synonym : hintsniff of He got us into this mess, and then left at the first sniff of trouble!3. have a sniff around/round British English informal to examine a place carefully
4. not get a sniff of something British English informal to not have any chance of getting something or being successful:
He never even got a sniff of the target. [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲