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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The case underscores Beijing’s determination to snuff out critical voices in the once-freewheeling city, with every prominent and many moderate opposition voices in Hong Kong now either in jail or in exile. —Theodora Yu, Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2023

Models He Cong, Sherry Shi, Sora Choi, and Yumi Nu then helped to snuff out the fire with sandbags. —Marley Marius, Vogue, 19 Jan. 2023

But his death didn’t lead to an obvious outpouring of anger, as China’s security forces had already moved swiftly to snuff out street demonstrations in major cities with a large police presence as well as a surveillance and intimidation campaign. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 6 Dec. 2022

Kemp, who was a developer before serving as a state senator and secretary of state, clinched another term despite attacks from former President Donald Trump that threatened to snuff out support in his own party. —Jeff Amy, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Nov. 2022

Kemp, who was a developer before serving as a state senator and secretary of state, clinched another term despite attacks from former President Donald Trump that threatened to snuff out support in his own party. —Jeff Amy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2022

Unlike Lai, Chung and Lam were charged under a colonial-era sedition law that has been used increasingly to snuff out critical voices in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. —Kanis Leung, ajc, 31 Oct. 2022

Moore and Anoma combined to snuff out a drive in the second quarter with pressures on consecutive snaps. —Michael Cohen, Detroit Free Press, 3 Sep. 2022

Not his best, but certainly up to snuff with the other fiction that appears in The New Yorker. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 13 June 2022

Noun

The use of vilca, typically inhaled like snuff or through a pipe, dates back at least 4,000 years, indicated by an ancient pipe from that time found at the Inca Cueva site in Argentina. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 11 Jan. 2022

In my experience, a ceremony usually includes fewer than 20 participants and begins with some type of cleansing initiation through the use of tobacco snuff, such as rapé, or mapacho. —Michaela Trimble, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Jan. 2023

Even if Walker’s candidacy is up to legal snuff, the perception of him simply acting as a carpetbagging vestige of the Republican party risks his bid. —Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 23 Nov. 2022

Chewing tobacco and snuff are prohibited along with smoking, but the policy does not include nicotine replacement products designed to help people quit smoking. —Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, 19 Jan. 2022

And another interesting tidbit that the series chose to touch on was the Queen's addiction to tobacco snuff. —Rosie Knight, refinery29.com, 27 Sep. 2021

But lower-income Minnesotans would bear the brunt of his proposals to raise the cigarette tax by $1 a pack from the current $3.04, with a corresponding increase for snuff, and to start taxing vaping devices. —Steve Karnowski And Mohamed Ibrahim, Star Tribune, 26 Jan. 2021

Her team just received specific reopening requirements a few days ago, and are now working fast to make sure everything is up to safety snuff. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2020

See More

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

• up to snuff
• snuff it

• up to snuff
• snuff it

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