sniff

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

sniff, v. i. [OE. sneven; akin to snivel, snuff; cf. Dan. snive to sniff. See Snuff, v. t.].

 To draw air audibly up the nose; to snuff; -- sometimes done as a gesture of suspicion, offense, or contempt.  [1913 Webster]
"So ye grow squeamish, gods, and sniff at heaven."  [1913 Webster]

sniff, v. t. 

•  To draw in with the breath through the nose; as, to sniff the air of the country.  [1913 Webster]
•  To perceive as by sniffing; to snuff, to scent; to smell; as, to sniff danger.  [1913 Webster]

sniff, n. 

 The act of sniffing; perception by sniffing; that which is taken by sniffing; as, a sniff of air.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sniff, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. draw up air audibly through the nose to stop it running or to detect a smell or as an expression of contempt.
2 tr. (often foll. by up) draw in (a scent, drug, liquid, or air) through the nose.
3 tr. draw in the scent of (food, drink, flowers, etc.) through the nose.
--n.
1 an act or sound of sniffing.
2 the amount of air etc. sniffed up.

Idiom

sniff at
1 try the smell of; show interest in.
2 show contempt for or discontent with. sniff out detect; discover by investigation.

Derivative

sniffingly adv.

Etymology

ME, imit.

THESAURUS

sniff

Aqua-Lung, artificial respiration, aspirate, aspiration, assibilate, assibilation, asthmatic wheeze, be warm, blow, breath, breath of air, breathe, breathe hard, breathe in, breathe out, breathing, broken wind, burn, buzz, cough, cut, cut direct, disregard, draw in, effervesce, effervescence, effervescing, exhalation, exhale, exhaust, expel, expiration, expire, exsufflation, feeling, fizz, fizzle, fizzling, frication, frictional rustling, gasp, get wind of, gulp, hack, hiccup, hint, hiss, hissing, huff, humiliation, hush, hushing, inhalation, inhalator, inhale, inhalement, inspiration, inspire, insufflation, iron lung, lisp, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, nose, nose out, odor, oxygen mask, oxygen tent, pant, puff, rebuff, repulse, respiration, respire, rhonchus, scent, scuba, shush, shushing, sibilance, sibilate, sibilation, siffle, sigh, sigmatism, siss, sissing, sizz, sizzle, sizzling, slight, slurp, smell, smell of, smell out, sneer, sneeze, sneezing, sniff at, sniff out, sniffle, snore, snoring, snort, snub, snuff, snuff in, snuffle, spirit, spit, splutter, spurn, spurning, sputter, squash, squelch, squish, sternutation, stertor, suck, suck in, sucking, suckle, suction, suggestion, suspiration, swish, the cold shoulder, the go-by, wheeze, whiff, whish, whistle, whistling, white noise, whiz, whoosh, wind, zip

ROGET THESAURUS

sniff

Wind

VB blow, waft, blow hard, blow great guns, blow a hurricane, wuther, stream, issue, respire, breathe, puff, whiff, whiffle, gasp, wheeze, snuff, snuffle, sniff, sniffle, sneeze, cough, fan, ventilate, inflate, perflate, blow up.

Odor

VB have an odor, smell, smell of, smell strong of, exhale, give out a smell, reek, reek of, scent, smell, scent, snuff, snuff up, sniff, nose, inhale.

Discovery

VB discover, find, determine, evolve, learn, fix upon, pick up, find out, trace out, make out, hunt out, fish out, worm out, ferret out, root out, fathom, bring out, draw out, educe, elicit, bring to light, dig out, grub up, fish up, unearth, disinter, solve, resolve, elucidate, unriddle, unravel, unlock, crack, crack open, pick up, open the lock, find a clue, find clew a to, find the key to the riddle, interpret, disclose, trace, get at, hit it, have it, lay one's finger, lay one's hands upon, spot, get at the truth, arrive at the truth, put the saddle on the right horse, hit the right nail on the head, be near the truth, be warm, get warmer, burn, smoke, scent, sniff, catch a whiff of, smell a rat, open the eyes to, see through, see daylight, see in its true colors, see the cloven foot, detect, catch, catch tripping, pitch upon, fall upon, light upon, hit upon, stumble upon, pop upon, come across, come onto, meet with, meet up with, fall in with, recognize, realize, verify, make certain of, identify, Int, eureka!, aha!, I've got it!.