snuff

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈsnəf 

plural snuffs

1

: the charred part of a candlewick

His head instantly dropped, and he ceased breathing as quietly as the snuff of a candle goes out.

—Paul Jennings

2

a

obsolete : umbrage, offense

—usually used with take

… took snuff at the ostentation of her crooked consort.

—Samuel Lucas

b

chiefly Scotland : a fit of resentment or indignation : huff

To take a thing in snuff was to take it offensively, and express contempt of the offender by drawing up the nostril …

—All the Year Round: A Weekly Journal

Taking it to snuff and dudgeon …

—Maurice Atkins

snuff

2 of 6

verb (1)

snuffed; snuffing; snuffs

transitive verb

1

: to crop the snuff of (a candle) by pinching or by the use of snuffers so as to brighten the light

She hastily snuffed her candle—it was burning dim …

—Francis Warre Cornish

The man took up the candle, snuffed it with his fingers, and striding up to Ephraim held the light full in his face …

—Mary Elizabeth Braddon

2

a

: to extinguish (a flame, a candle, etc.) by or as if by the use of a candlesnuffer

Fire crews were making progress as they continued to patrol the town, snuffing small spot fires and sparking a controlled burn to protect the remaining buildings.

—The Globe and Mail (Canada)

—often used with out

He lit the cones and immediately snuffed them out.

—Daniel P. Wiener

I snuffed out my tallow candle, jumped into my coat and moccasins, and plunged out into the snow.

—Jean Craighead George

(figurative) Four cubic miles of volcanic ash and other debris shot as high as 30 miles into the atmosphere, snuffing out the daylight and covering nearby islands with several feet of ash.

—Cheryl Simon

b

: to cause the end of : to put an end to

Three interceptions in the fourth quarter snuffed San Diego's remaining hopes.

—John Papanek

—usually used with out

The rebellion might have been easily snuffed out then.

—Jeffrey Bartholet

also : kill, execute

snuffed the bad guys

… was snuffed to cover up an immense scandal.

—Linda Grant

snuff

3 of 6

adjective

: characterized by the sensationalistic depiction of violence

especially : featuring a real rather than a staged murder

snuff movies

snuff

4 of 6

verb (2)

snuffed; snuffing; snuffs

transitive verb

1

: to draw forcibly through or into the nostrils

2

: scent, smell

3

: to sniff at in order to examine

—used of an animal

intransitive verb

1

: to inhale through the nose noisily and forcibly

also : to sniff or smell inquiringly

2

obsolete : to sniff loudly in or as if in disgust

3

: to take snuff

snuff

5 of 6

noun (2)

: the act of snuffing : sniff

snuff

6 of 6

noun (3)

1

: a preparation of pulverized tobacco to be inhaled through the nostrils, chewed, or placed against the gums

2

: the amount of snuff taken at one time

Phrases

snuff it

British slang

: die

… the man did look absolutely dreadful; dreadful enough that he should almost certainly have snuffed it by now …

—Matthew Waldram

… a fairly detailed itinerary had emerged giving me the opportunity to achieve at least half of the items on the 'before I snuff it' list.

—Sydney Marcellus Operahouse

up to snuff

: of sufficient quality : meeting an applicable standard

Synonyms

Verb (2)

• nose
• scent
• smell
• sniff
• whiff

Examples of snuff in a Sentence

Verb (2)

the dog began barking as soon as she snuffed the scent of squirrel

the proprietor of the boarding house had apparently snuffed almost 50 old men before she was caught

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Read on for the most common brushing teeth mistakes to find out if your dental skills are up to snuff. —Lisa Desantis, Glamour, 13 Dec. 2024

There was a time when that mantle would have been applicable to some of the forces attempting to dismantle the murderous Baathist regime in Damascus, but they were snuffed out. —Noah Rothman, National Review, 2 Dec. 2024

Noun

Ostensibly a biblical epic where the ultimate ending is Marcus accepting Christ and eternal life, The Sign of the Cross features an erotic lesbian dance, actress Claudette Colbert bathing in milk, and about 20 straight minutes of gladiator games that have the general vibe of a snuff film. —James Grebey, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024

The two 18th-century snuff boxes were made by Johann Christian Neuber and Daniel Baudesson. —Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English snoffe

Verb (2)

akin to Dutch snuffen to sniff, snuff — more at snivel

Noun (3)

Dutch snuf, short for snuftabak, from snuffen to snuff + tabak tobacco

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1971, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1527, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1568, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing snuff

• snuff it
• up to snuff

Kids Definition

snuff

1 of 3 verb

ˈsnəf 

1

: to cut off the burned end of the wick of a candle so as to brighten the light

2

: to put an end to : extinguish

snuff out a candle

snuff out a life

snuff

2 of 3 verb

1

: to draw forcibly through or into the nostrils

2

: to sniff so as to smell

snuff

3 of 3 noun

: powdered tobacco especially for inhaling through the nostrils

Etymology

Verb

Middle English snoffe "the burned end of a candle wick"

Verb

perhaps derived from Dutch snuffen "to sniff"

Noun

from Dutch snuf, a shortened form of snuftabak "powdered tobacco," from snuffen "to snuff, sniff" and tabak "tobacco"

Medical Definition

snuff

noun

ˈsnəf 

: a preparation of pulverized tobacco to be inhaled through the nostrils, chewed, or placed against the gums

also : a preparation of a powdered drug to be inhaled through the nostrils