sniff

About 0.80 uses per million words.

Meaning

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

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

2. verb To 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.

3. verb To inhale drugs (usually cocaine) through the nose, usually in powder form.
4. verb To be dismissive or contemptuous of something; used with at.

   This opportunity is not to be sniffed at.

5. verb To perceive vaguely.
6. verb To pry; to investigate in an interfering manner. To intercept and analyse packets of data being transmitted over a network.

   packet sniffer

7. verb To intercept and analyse packets of data being transmitted over a network.

   packet sniffer

8. noun An instance of sniffing.

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

Similar words

sniffle snuff whiff snort smell track feel trace stickers snuffle

Often followed by

the at out of and it around a them

Word family

sniffed sniffing sniffs