Definition

1. Noun:

   • Finely powdered tobacco for sniffing: A preparation of pulverized tobacco, typically inhaled through the nose.
   • A pinch of smokeless tobacco inhaled at a single time: The act of inhaling or the amount of tobacco inhaled in one instance.
   • The charred portion of a candlewick: The black, partially burned end of a candle's wick that needs trimming.
   • The act of sensing an odor by inhaling through the nose: An audible inhalation to smell something.

2. Verb:

   • To inhale audibly through the nose: To draw air or a substance in through the nose, often to smell it.
   • To sniff or smell inquiringly: To investigate or test a scent by inhaling.
   • To inhale powdered tobacco: To use snuff by taking it into the nose.
   • To extinguish (a candle): To put out a candle's flame, especially by pinching or smothering the wick. Often used with "out".

3. Adjective:

   • Snuff-colored; of a greyish to yellowish brown: Having the dull brown color characteristic of some types of snuff tobacco.

Examples

• Noun:

  • He took a snuff of tobacco from a small box.
  • The candle's flame flickered because of the long snuff on the wick.
  • She took a deep snuff of the ocean air.

• Verb:

  • The dog snuffed at the ground, searching for a scent.
  • In the 18th century, gentlemen commonly snuffed tobacco.
  • Please snuff out the candles before you leave the room.

• Adjective:

  • She wore a snuff-colored coat that blended with the autumn leaves.

Advanced Usage

• "To snuff it" (idiom, informal): To die.

  • The old car finally snuffed it on the highway.

• "Up to snuff" (idiom): Meeting the required standard; satisfactory.

  • His work hasn't been up to snuff lately.

Variants and Related Words

• Snuffer (noun): A device for extinguishing a candle.
• Snuffbox (noun): A small container for holding snuff.
• Snuff film (noun): A film genre depicting actual murder. (Note: This is a compound term where "snuff" is used metaphorically).

Synonyms

• Noun (tobacco): Smokeless tobacco, rappee.
• Verb (to smell): Sniff, inhale, scent.
• Verb (to extinguish): Extinguish, put out, douse.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Snuff out:
  • To extinguish a flame.

    • He snuffed out the match with his fingers.
  • To end something abruptly or violently; to suppress.

    • The new regulations snuffed out any hope of a quick profit.
    • The rebellion was brutally snuffed out.

Related Idioms

• Not up to snuff: Not of acceptable quality.
  • This report is not up to snuff; you'll need to revise it.
• Take something in snuff (archaic): To take offense at something.
  • He took her comment in snuff and left the room.

Adjective

1. snuff colored; of a greyish to yellowish brown

Noun

1. sensing an odor by inhaling through the nose
2. finely powdered tobacco for sniffing up the nose
3. a pinch of smokeless tobacco inhaled at a single time
4. the charred portion of a candlewick

Verb

1. inhale audibly through the nose
   • snuff coke
2. sniff or smell inquiringly