sneer 
5730 
sniff 
by opprobrious language. To inter ;is to express contempt sneeze (snez), . [Early mod. E. also sneesc; snibt (snib), v. t. [Also dial, sncb, early mod. 
by inure or'less covert sarcasm. To jeer is to try to raise 
a laugh by sarcastic language. To gibe is to use con- 
temptuous, mocking, or taunting expressions. 
II. trans. 1. To treat or address with sneers ; 
treat with contempt ; sneer at. 
lie had sneer'd Sir Thomas Hanmer for changing Sin ah 
into Sir. 
sneeze, r.] 1. The act of one who sneezes, 
or the sound made by sneezing; sudden and 
violent ejection of air through the r.ose and 
mouth with au audible sound. 2. Snuff. Also 
snislt. Uallticell. [Prov.Eng.] Cup o' sneeze. 
See cup. 
T. Edwards, Canons of Criticism (1765), p. 75. (Hall.) sneeze-horn (snez'horn), . A sort of snuff-box 
2 To utter with a contemptuous expression or 
grimace. 
"A ship of fools," he shrlek'd in spite, 
" A ship of fools," he sneer'd and wept. 
Tennyson, The Voyage. 
3. To affect in a specified way by sneering. 
Very likely Ihey were laughing over his infatuation, and 
sneering her fair fame away^t that very inoineiit^ in the 
One 
sneer (sner), . 
who sneezes. 
When a Hindu sneezes, bystanders say "live ! " and the 
sneezer replies " With you ! " 
E. B. Ti/lor, Prim. Culture, I. 101. 
2. A violent blow; a blow that knocks the snibt (snib), n. [< snib, v.] 
breath out. [Prov. Eng.] rimand; a snub. 
Whyte'Melnlle, White Rose, II xviii. sneezeweed(snez'wed), n. A plant of the genus Frost-bit, numb'd with il-straind snibbes. 
[< sneer, v.'] 1 A derisive or Selenium, mostly the common H. autumnale. Sfarston, What you Will, ii. i. 
E. ,<<iii/ibc, snabbe; < ME. sxibben, snyliben, < Dan. 
snibbe, chide, reprimand ; another form of snub 
(< Icel. snubba = Sw. snubba): see snub*. Cf. 
SHI;;, si/crip.'] To check; reprimand; snub; 
sneap or sneb. 
Him wolde he snybbe sharply for the nones. 
Chaucer, Gen. Plol. to f. T., L 523. 
He cast him to scold 
And sue bbe the good Oake for he was old. 
Spenser, Shep. Cal., February. 
You have snibbed the poor fellow too much ; he can 
scarce speak, he cleaves his words with sobbing. 
Middleton, Your Five Gallants, 11. 3. 
A reproof; a rep- 
i exnres i of In En l a " a this . though rather coarse, is known in orna- sn i c k (snik), v. t. [Sc. also sneck, E. dial, sniri ; 
1 mental culture. Its powdered leaves and flowers when ?YpV ,](.;. _ Nm-w unil-Trn siw rti.,1 ,,;; 
the face marked by a slight turning up of the snuffed up produce violent sneezing. Recently the finer l.***a oiw. sntUca = bw. dial, sink- 
nose, and indicating contempt ; a look of scorn, southwestern species, //. temttfolium, has received some 
" " ' notice. It is poisonous to human beings and to horses. 
disdain, or derision; hence, the feeling thus 
expressed. 
That smile, if oft observed and near, 
Waned iu its mirth, and wither'd to a sneer. 
Byron, Lara, i. 17. 
2. A verbal expression of contempt ; an in- 
sinuation of scorn or derision by language 
more or less covert and indirect. 
Who can refute a sneer! Paley, Moral Phllos.,11. v. 9. 
= Syn. See sneer, v. i. 
sneerer (sner'er), . [< sneer + -er 1 .] One who 
sneers. 
sneerful (sner'ful), a. 
to sneering. [Bare.] 
Cell ever squalid! where the sneerful maid 
Will not fatigue her hand ! broom never comes, 
That comes to all. Sheiatone, Economy, iii. 
sneeringly (sner'ing-li), adv. In a sneering 
manner; with a sneer. 
sneering-match (sner'ing-mach), n. A grin- 
ning-inatch (which see, under grin, i>.). Halli- 
well. [Prov. Eng.] 
Both plants have been advocated for medical use in ner- 
vous diseases. Less properly called sneeze irvrt. See cut 
under Helenium. 
ineezewood (snez'wud), n. [A translation of 
S. African D. nies-hntit, < D. nifzen, sneeze (= E. 
neese), + liout, wood (= E. holft).'] A South 
African tree, Fteeroxylon utile, or its timber. 
The latter Is a handsome wood taking a fine polish ; it is 
strong and very durable, and but slightly affected by 
moisture. It is made into furniture, agricultural imple- 
ments, etc., and is used for railway-ties, piles, and similar 
purposes. The dust produced in working it causes sneez- 
ing (whence the name). 
[< sneer + -ful.~\ Given sneezewprt (snez' wert), n. [< sneeze + wort 1 . 
Cf. D. nieswortel, hellebore.] 1. In old usage, 
the white hellebore, Veratrum albuni,TaoTO often 
under the form neezewort. Britten and Hol- 
land, Eng. Plant Names. 2. A composite herb, 
Achillcn Ptarmica, chiefly of the Old World. 
The flower heads are larger and much fewer than those of 
the yarrow, A. Millefolium ; the leaves are simple and 
sharply serrate, and when dried and pulverized are said 
to provoke sneezing (whence the name). 
3. Same as snce:ewced. 
sneering-muscle (sner mg-mus'l), . A mus- sneezing (sue'zing), . [< ME. snesijnge, ear- 
cle of expression which lifts the upper lip and \ierfuesynge, < A. fnedsung, verbal n. of fned- snicker (snik'er), , 
draws also upon the nostril, and is the principal san, sneeze : see sneeze. Cf. necsina.'] 1 The ~^ ***-'*"- 
agent in producing a sneer or sneering expres- 
sion of the face; the levator labii superioris 
ahsque nasi. Persons habitually surly or scornful often 
have a deep line engraven on the face, due to the frequent 
exercise of this muscle. Compare snarling-muscle, under 
muscle^. 
sneeset, and n. An obsolete spelling of sneeze. 
sneesh (snesh), . [Also snislt, smisli; < Dan. 
snug, snuff. Cf. sneege.'] See snusli. 
sneeshing (sne'shiug), n. [Also sneeslrin; < 
sneesh, snisli, snuff, + -iiiyl.] Scuff; also, a 'han chawing arec 
pinch of snuff. [Scotch.] 
A mull o' gude sneeshM to pria. The Blithesome Bridal. 
Not worth a sneeshin. W. Meston, Poems. 
Sneesnlng-mull, a snuff-box, generally made of the end 
of a horn. [Scotch.] 
sneevlet, v. 
act of emitting a snoeze. 
Looking against the sun doth Induce sneezing. 
Bacon, Nat. Hist., 8 687. 
2t. A medicine to promote sneezing ; au errhine ; 
a sternutatory. 
Sneezings, masticatories, and nasals. 
Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 363. (Latham.) 
sneezing-powder (sne'zing-pou"der), n. Snuff. 
Sneezing-powder is not more frequent with the Irish 
. . is with these savagt s. 
Herbert, Travels, an. ICSa 
A Scotch variant of snagl. 
[< ME. snel, snell, < AS. snel, 
snee (sneg), v. t. 
snell 1 (snel), a. 
snell, activ 
nwam 
( = OHG. MHG. S)ie 
. snel- 
ka, nick, cut, esp. as a mason or carpenter; cf. 
Sw. snickare = Dan. snedkcr, a jpiner; Sw. snick- 
ra = Dan. snedkre, do joiners' work; D. unit;, 
a hatchet, a sharp tool.] To cut; clip; snip; 
nick. 
He began by snicking the corner of her foot off with 
nurse's scissors. //. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, Ixiii. (Daciei.) 
One of the Fates, with a long sharp knife, 
Snicking off bits of his shortened life. 
W. S. Gilbert, Baby's Vengeance. 
snick (snik), n. [< snick, t\] 1. A small cut; 
a snip; a nick. [Pro_v. Eng.] 2. In cricket, 
a hit in which the bat is but slightly moved,' the 
ball glancing off it. 3. A knot or kink, as in 
yarn or thread where it is twisted too tightly. 
Snick and snee, snick or snee, snlck-a-snee, a fight 
with knives : used also jocosely for a knife, as a sailors' 
sheath-knife, a bowie-knife, etc. Compare enickersnee. 
Among other Customs they have in that town [Genoa], 
one is That none must carry a pointed Knife about him ; 
which makes the Hollander, who Is used to Snik and Snee, 
to leave his Horn-sheath and Knife a Ship-board when he 
comes ashore. llowell, Letters, I. i. 41. 
The brutal Sport of Snick-or-Snee. 
Dryden, Parallel of Poetry and Painting. 
[Sc. also sniclier; cf. Sc. 
snecker, breathe loudly through the nose, snock- 
cr, snort; MD. snick, D. snik, a sigh, sob, gasp, 
snikken, gasp, sob, = LG. snvkken, sob; perhaps 
ult. akin to Sc. nicker, niclier, neigh, and to E. 
neigh 1 , regarded as orig. imitative.] I. intrant. 
To laugh in a half-suppressed or foolish :n;m- 
uer; giggle. 
Could we but hear our husbands chat it, 
How their tongues run, when they are at it, 
Their bawdy talss, when o'er I heir liquor, 
I'll warr'nt would make a woman snicker. 
Uudibrai Redivivut(na]). (Naret.) 
II. trans. To say in a giggling manner. 
"He! he! I compliment you on your gloves, and your 
handkerchief, I'm sure," sniggers Mrs. Baynes. 
Thackeray, Philip, xxiv. 
Also snigger. 
.., An obsolete form of snivel. l o Pr.isnd,irnel = OF.isnel),G.sclinell, swift, snicker (snik'er), . [< snicker, .] A half- 
sneeze (snez), r. ; pret. and pp. sneezed, ppr c l uick . = Icel. snjallr, eloquent, able, bold, = suppressed laugh ; a giggle. Also snigger. 
sneezing. [Early mod. E. also sneese, snese, sueze; bv T' SHa!l =. ODa,n. sne i t svv if t? fl eet . cf g w jj an snickersnee (snik'er-sne), . [An accom. form 
< ME.sneseii, a variant, with substitution of sn- s '"" e i genius, Dan. siiihl, shrewd, sagacious.] of snick and snee, a combat with knives: see 
for the uncommon initial sequence/*;-, of fiicscn, 1 t- Active; brisk; nimble; spirited. snick and see.] Same as snick and snee (which 
Sythyne wente into Wales with his wyes alle, 8 ee, under snick). 
Forto hu^aUh^ha"^ ta\2SftoJSj2U. ^ ake T ha , 8te ' ?> ake haste '" sa >' 8 uzzlin 8 J ' m y- 
ny, e ' au i laes - While Jack pulled out his iii'liiinn, 
Morte Arthure (K E. T. S.\ 1. 57. Thackeray, Little Billee. 
LHfTs^TsS 8 ! P! S6Vere; hard: a8 ' a ^M* < 8nid/1 >' ^P 11 obscure.] Long 
coarse grass; sedges and allied plants of wet 
There came a wind out of the north, 
A sharp wind and a snell. 
The Young Tamlane (Chile 
snellsmi dure eneugh in casting up their nonsense'tothem? 
Scott, Antiquary, xxi. 
< AS.fnedsan = 'D.fnie3en, sneeze, = Ieel./oso, 
later fnysa, sneeze, = Sw. fnysa = Dan.fnyse, 
snort: see fnese, and ef. xeece.] I. intraus. To 
emit air from the nose and mouth audibly and 
violently by an involuntary convulsive action, 
as occasioned by irritation of the lining mem- 
brane of the nose or by stimulation of the retina 
by a bright light. In sneezing the glottis remains 
open, while the passage out through the mouth is partial- 
ly obstructed by the approximation of the tongue to the 
roof of the mouth. See sneezing. 
. M 5; 5 aliburton brin S 3 forward, as his strongest case 
the habit of saying "God bless you " or some equivalent Snell 2 (snel), n. [Origin obscure.] A short 
! J ?. e S !0 ?. SMexi - He shows that this piece of gut, gimp, or sea-grass on which fish- 
places. Halliwell; Britten and Holland, Eng. 
Plant Names. [Prov. Eng.] 
snitlte, sharp.] I. a. Sharp; characterized by 
low cunning and sharp practice ; tricky ; also, 
false; spurious. [Slang.] 
II. n. An underhanded, tricky person given 
11 "" ffmm i*i iiiiuc. j r^\i i J 
w. Combe, Dr. Syntax's Tours, ii. 5. deer. [Obsolete or prov. Eng.] 
My professional reputation is not to be sneezed at Snetet, . An obsolete spelling of suite? 
Sir A. H. Elton, Below the Surface', xxvii. Snevellt, Snevelt, . Obsolete foras of' snivel 
ii. trans. To utter with or like a sneeze snewH,". A Middle English (and more original) 
Shall not I ove to me spelling of snM.l. 
Sn'J, the t Ll 'f ln n 8 S n 5l Ieal ' ntttt8chonl . ' anew 2 . A Middle English or modern dialectal 
Sneeze out a full Ood-bless you right aid left? preterit of sowl. 
Tennyson, Edwin Morris, sneydt, . An obsolete form of sneacP. 
So then you look'd scornful and tntft at the dean. 
Swift, Grand Question Debated. 
Miss Pankey, a mild little blue-eyed morsel of a child, 
. . . was . . . instructed that nobody who sniffed before 
visitors ever went to Heaven. 
Dickem, Dombey and Son, viii. 
Sniffing bronchophony, a form of bronchophouy accom- 
panied with a sniffing sound. 
