sniffer

noun

sniff·​er ˈsni-fər 

1

: one that sniffs: such as

a

: someone who sniffs a drug or other substance in order to become intoxicated

a cocaine/glue sniffer

b

or less commonly sniffer dog : a dog that is trained to recognize and follow scents especially for the purpose of locating people or contraband (such as illicit drugs and explosives)

2

informal : nose

Use your sniffer to detect unattractive or unhealthy odors.

—Susan DeBow

Examples of sniffer in a Sentence

Sniffers were brought in to search bags at the airport.

Recent Examples on the Web

Authorities divided the area into zones as rescue crews, including disaster response teams and sniffer dogs, searched the region for missing despite heavy rain hampering operations, Devamanohar, a local police official, told reporters. — ABC News, 8 July 2026

In April, Brazilian police seized a record 48 tons of drugs uncovered by chance by a sniffer dog named Hulk in Rio de Janeiro. — CBS News, 9 June 2026

One of the worst moments was bagging up Weston’s clothes and giving them to police for sniffer dogs to use. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 4 June 2026

And in May 2020, with the help of sniffer dogs, Russian customs seized 70 tons of contraband European cheeses that were being smuggled into the country. — Olivia Potts, Longreads, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sniffer

• differ
• stiffer