sniff: Meaning and Definition of

sniff

Pronunciation: (snif), [key]
— v.i.
  1. to draw air through the nose in short, audible inhalations.
  2. to clear the nose by so doing; sniffle.
  3. to smell by short inhalations.
  4. to show disdain, contempt, etc., by or as by sniffing.
—v.t.
  1. to perceive by or as by smelling: to sniff a scandal.
  2. to inhale through the nose: to sniff the air.
—n.
  1. an act of sniffing; a single, short, audible inhalation.
  2. the sound made by such an act.
  3. a scent or odor perceived: a sniff of perfume.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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