snorkel

1 of 2

noun

snor·​kel ˈsnȯr-kəl How to pronounce snorkel (audio)
plural snorkels
1
: a plastic tube that allows a swimmer to breathe while keeping the head or face under the surface of the water
He swam about 250 yards on the surface, using a snorkel to breathe, to get past the barren sandy bottom.Brian Clark
No complicated equipment—just a mask, snorkel, and fins, and you're set to explore a shimmering world of exotic fish and Technicolor coral.Richard Alleman
2
: a tube housing air intake and exhaust pipes for a vehicle's engine that can be extended above the water's surface so that the engine can be operated while the vehicle is partially or fully submerged
Water entered the snorkel of an Argentine submarine and caused one of its batteries to short circuit before the vessel went missing this month, a navy spokesman said Monday.Chicago Tribune
Most need to be specially modified … with extra ground clearance to get over big rocks, an exhaust snorkel for river crossings, industrial-strength suspension, and an engine with enough torque to power through mud and sand.Jerry Guo

snorkel

2 of 2

verb

snorkeled; snorkeling ˈsnȯr-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce snorkel (audio)

intransitive verb

: to operate or swim submerged using a snorkel
snorkeler noun

Examples of snorkel in a Sentence

Verb We snorkeled in the Caribbean on our vacation last year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
And further options, including a snorkel, winches, lights, and storage solutions to mount to the roof and side accessory rails, only enhance the impression that the Quartermaster belongs in the dirt. Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2025 Elsewhere in Tahiti, dive with blacktip reef sharks around Mo’orea and the main island, or snorkel with migrating humpback whales offshore from Rurutu from around August to early October. Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Adventurous travelers may be drawn to activities like snorkeling in the Seychelles; or visiting a remote community in the Darién Jungle between Panama and Colombia. Mary Curry, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025 Lassauce has been snorkeling daily with sharks for a year as part of that program—always with an accompanying boat for safety purposes—and had seen bits of the leopard shark mating behavior before, but never the entire sequence. Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for snorkel

Word History

Etymology

Noun

German Schnorchel

First Known Use

Noun

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of snorkel was in 1945

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snorkel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snorkel. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

snorkel

1 of 2 noun
snor·​kel ˈsnȯr-kəl How to pronounce snorkel (audio)
1
: a tube or tubes that can be extended above the surface of the water to supply air to and remove exhaust from a submerged submarine
2
: a tube used by swimmers for breathing with the head under water

snorkel

2 of 2 verb
snorkeled; snorkeling -k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce snorkel (audio)
: to swim underwater using a snorkel

More from Merriam-Webster on snorkel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!