Meaning of "sniff" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD SNIFF

Probably related to snivelen to snivel.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF SNIFF

sniff  [snɪf]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SNIFF

Sniff is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb sniff in English.

WHAT DOES SNIFF MEAN IN ENGLISH?

List of Moomin characters

A large number of characters are found in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. The original Swedish names are given in parentheses, with the etymologies and word associations suggested by Bertills 2003.

Definition of sniff in the English dictionary

The first definition of sniff in the dictionary is to inhale through the nose, usually in short rapid audible inspirations, as for the purpose of identifying a scent, for clearing a congested nasal passage, or for taking a drug or intoxicating fumes. Other definition of sniff is when intr, often foll by at to perceive or attempt to perceive by inhaling through the nose. Sniff is also the act or sound of sniffing.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO SNIFF

PRESENT

Present

I sniff

you sniff

he/she/it sniffs

we sniff

you sniff

they sniff

Present continuous

I am sniffing

you are sniffing

he/she/it is sniffing

we are sniffing

you are sniffing

they are sniffing

Present perfect

I have sniffed

you have sniffed

he/she/it has sniffed

we have sniffed

you have sniffed

they have sniffed

Present perfect continuous

I have been sniffing

you have been sniffing

he/she/it has been sniffing

we have been sniffing

you have been sniffing

they have been sniffing

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I sniffed

you sniffed

he/she/it sniffed

we sniffed

you sniffed

they sniffed

Past continuous

I was sniffing

you were sniffing

he/she/it was sniffing

we were sniffing

you were sniffing

they were sniffing

Past perfect

I had sniffed

you had sniffed

he/she/it had sniffed

we had sniffed

you had sniffed

they had sniffed

Past perfect continuous

I had been sniffing

you had been sniffing

he/she/it had been sniffing

we had been sniffing

you had been sniffing

they had been sniffing

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will sniff

you will sniff

he/she/it will sniff

we will sniff

you will sniff

they will sniff

Future continuous

I will be sniffing

you will be sniffing

he/she/it will be sniffing

we will be sniffing

you will be sniffing

they will be sniffing

Future perfect

I will have sniffed

you will have sniffed

he/she/it will have sniffed

we will have sniffed

you will have sniffed

they will have sniffed

Future perfect continuous

I will have been sniffing

you will have been sniffing

he/she/it will have been sniffing

we will have been sniffing

you will have been sniffing

they will have been sniffing

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would sniff

you would sniff

he/she/it would sniff

we would sniff

you would sniff

they would sniff

Conditional continuous

I would be sniffing

you would be sniffing

he/she/it would be sniffing

we would be sniffing

you would be sniffing

they would be sniffing

Conditional perfect

I would have sniff

you would have sniff

he/she/it would have sniff

we would have sniff

you would have sniff

they would have sniff

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been sniffing

you would have been sniffing

he/she/it would have been sniffing

we would have been sniffing

you would have been sniffing

they would have been sniffing

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you sniff
we let´s sniff
you sniff

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to sniff

Past participle

sniffed

Present Participle

sniffing

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «SNIFF»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «sniff» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of sniff

clue · draw in · hint · inhale · inkling · intimation · nose · scent · sign · smell · snuff · snuffle · suck in · suggestion · whiff · wind

TRANSLATION OF SNIFF

Find out the translation of sniff to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of sniff from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «sniff» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 嗅
• Translator English - Spanish: olfatear
• English: sniff
• Translator English - Hindi: सूंघ
• Translator English - Arabic: يَشْتِمُّ
• Translator English - Russian: вдыхать через нос
• Translator English - Portuguese: fungar
• Translator English - Bengali: শোঁকা
• Translator English - French: renifler
• Translator English - Malay: menghidu
• Translator English - German: schnuppern
• Translator English - Japanese: 鼻で吸う
• Translator English - Korean: 코를 킁킁거리다
• Translator English - Javanese: Sniff
• Translator English - Vietnamese: hít
• Translator English - Tamil: முகர
• Translator English - Marathi: सूंघ
• Translator English - Turkish: koklamak
• Translator English - Italian: annusare
• Translator English - Polish: powąchać
• Translator English - Ukrainian: вдихати
• Translator English - Romanian: a inspira rapid
• Translator English - Greek: ρουθουνίζω
• Translator English - Afrikaans: snuif
• Translator English - Swedish: lukta
• Translator English - Norwegian: snuse

10 QUOTES WITH «SNIFF»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word sniff.

1

Jennifer Coolidge

I have been able to sniff out a phony.

2

Bryan Cranston

When actors first come up, you're auditioning for everything - you're trying to sniff it out like a pig with a truffle and you would do anything!

3

Frans de Waal

Unlike the primate hand, the elephant's grasping organ is also its nose. Elephants use their trunks not only to reach food but also to sniff and touch it. With their unparalleled sense of smell, the animals know exactly what they are going for. Vision is secondary.

4

Loren Eiseley

Like the herd animals we are, we sniff warily at the strange one among us.

5

Rich Galen

You don't have to be a political genius to sniff the smell of blood in the water.

6

Tim Howard

Good keepers sniff out attacks whether with the feet or a throw out.

7

Eugene Ionesco

A nose that can see is worth two that sniff.

8

Jeff Kinney

If there is any message in the 'Wimpy Kid' books, it is that reading can be and should be fun. As an adult reader, when I see an obvious moral lesson to be taught, I run in the other direction... Kids can sniff out an adult agenda from an early age. I'm writing for entertainment, not to impress literary judges.

9

Patrick Marber

It's one of the reasons I don't do drugs. One sniff and I'd go all the way.

10

Michelle Rodriguez

I want them to listen to me for what I am saying. And I think the best way to do that is to sniff my armpits, and like, sit and burp every now and then.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SNIFF»

Discover the use of sniff in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to sniff and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Never Sniff A Gift Fish

Here are the hilarious tales of a sportsman's life in the great and often not-so great outdoors. McManus offers more cracker-barrel wisdom and zany insights into the agonies and ecstasies of hunting, fishing, and camping.

Patrick F. McManus, 1984

Raggedy Ann's sweet and dandy, sugar candy scratch and sniff ...

In a night-time adventure Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy meet a Snitznoodle, reunite Little Lost Cookie with her parents, and teach mischievous Hob-the-Goblin to be good.

Patricia Thackray, 1977

Sniff, Sniff: A Book about Smell

Introduces the sense of smell and looks at how the nose work as a sense organ.

Dana Meachen Rau, 2005

Why Do Dogs Sniff Bottoms?

The answer to one of life’s mysteries is now revealed – why exactly do dogs sniff bottoms?

Dawn McMillan, Bert Signal, 2006

A Scratch & Sniff Halloween

Young readers can scratch and sniff the Halloween treats children receive, including bubble gum, a lollipop, popcorn balls, and jelly beans.

Elizabeth Spurr, 2009

Scratch & Sniff

"Printed in Smell-i-vision, with real scratch-n-sniff ink!"

Ray Comfort, 2007

Tinker Bell's Scratch and Sniff Surprises

Tinker Bell the fairy comes to live in Pixie Hollow, where she makes friends with Terence the fairy dust-keeper, becomes wary of sour Vidia, and helps bring springtime to the mainland.

Andrea Posner-Sanchez, 2009

Backstage with Beth and Trina: A Scratch-and-Sniff Adventure

Two wonderfully trashy and lovable rocker chicks hit the scene, drink and smoke way too much, and score every groupie's ticket to ride: backstage passes.

Julie Blattberg, 2006

The berrylicious bake-off: a scratch-and-sniff story

Angel Cake invites all her friends to help her bake a cake, and when they all have different ideas about what kind of cake to make she comes up with a solution that will please everyone.

Monique Z. Stephens, Marga Querol, Tino Santanach, 2003

Vintage Scratch & Sniff Sticker Collector's Guide

Scratch and sniff stickers were the ultimate collectible for children of the early '80s since they combined the popularity of sticker collecting with the trend of scented items. Children of all ages collected scratch and sniff stickers. No doubt if you ...

Neil A. Galin, Amy Peppler, 2006

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SNIFF»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term sniff is used in the context of the following news items.

Sniffing could provide autism test

The way children sniff different aromas could form the basis of a test for autism, suggest researchers in Israel. People spend longer inhaling the delightful aroma ... «BBC News, Jul 15»

Truffle dogs sniff out pungent fungus prized by foodies

America's growing appetite for truffles is feeding demand for dogs trained to sniff out the prized fungi beneath the ground. Most truffles, known as the diamonds ... «U.S. News & World Report, Jun 15»

Cambodia to start using rats to sniff out bombs scattered throughout …

Cambodia is training rats to sniff out landmines. A team of 15 rats have been imported from Africa to carry out the perilous work, reports the Telegraph. The rats ... «New York Daily News, Jun 15»

Supreme Court settles latest Fourth Amendment dog-sniff case

For the third time in recent years, the Supreme Court has decided a case involving the constitutional sniffing powers of police dogs. «Constitution Daily, Apr 15»

After handshakes, we sniff people's scent on our hand

You won't believe you do it, but you do. After shaking hands with someone, you'll lift your hands to your face and take a deep sniff. This newly discovered ... «New Scientist, Mar 15»

African elephants trained to sniff out explosives, landmines, poachers

Elephants are being trained in the art of bio-detection in South Africa to see if they can use their exceptional sense of smell to sniff out explosives, landmines and ... «ABC Online, Feb 15»

New lottery tickets come with a side of bacon

New Hampshire's new scratch-and-sniff lottery ticket is off to a sizzling start. The $1 bacon-scented ticket went on sale earlier this month, and sales have been ... «Newsday, Jan 15»

Bacon-scented scratch-n-sniff lotto tickets available in New Hampshire

A new bacon-scented scratch-n-sniff “I Heart Bacon” will debut in “The Granite State” this month that features a $1,000 grand prize, The Associated Press ... «Washington Times, Jan 15»

Hero rats sniff (and snuff) out landmines and TB

Tanzania-based NGO Apopo trains giant African pouched rats to sniff out land mines and detect tuberculosis -- two scourges that have had a tremendously ... «CNN, Sep 14»

Northern Ireland police issue 'scratch and sniff' cannabis cards

Cannabis smelling “scratch and sniff” cards are being distributed by police officers in Northern Ireland to help shut down the increasing number of factories ... «The Guardian, Sep 14»