sniff 
5731 
pies and lead" atta'ch'e'cFfoTThe* purpose'of keeping them 
to the bottom of the pool. 
Fisldivj Gazette, Jan. 30, 1880. (Kncyc. Diet.) 
clover-field. 
The horses were miffing the wind, with necks out- 
stretched toward the east. O'Donoean, Merv, iii. 
2. To perceive as by snuffing; smell; scent- Sn te8erer (snig'er-cr), n. 
as, to sniff danger.- 3. To draw the breath ' 
through (the nose) in an unpleasantly audible 
manner. 
Sntjff nor snitynge hyt [the nose] to lowd. 
Babees Book (B. E. T. S.), p. 134. 
sniff (snif ), H. [<sniff,v. Cf. snuff 1 , n.'} 1. The 
act of sniffing; a single short audible inspira- 
tion through the nose. 
Oh, could I but have had one single sup, 
One single snif&t Charlotte's caudle-cup ! 
T. Warton, Oxford Newsman's Verses (1767). 
The intensity of the pleasurable feeling given by a rose 
held to the nostrils rapidly diminishes ; and when the 
smffs have been continued for some time scarcely any 
scent can be perceived. H. Spencer, Prin. of Psychol., 45. 
2. Perception of smell obtained by inhaling 
audibly; that which is taken by sniffing: as a 
swi/ot fresh air. 
We were within sni/ol Paris, it seemed. 
R. L. Stevenson, Inland Voyage, p. 238. 
3. The sound produced by passing the breath 
through the nose with a quick effort ; a short, 
quick snuffle. 
Mrs. Gamp . . . gave a sniff of uncommon significance 
and said, it didn't signify. 
Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, xxlx. 
One who sniggers. 
The nephew is himself a boy, and the staggerers tempt 
him to secular thoughts of marbles and string. 
Dickens, Uncommercial Traveller, Ix. 
sniggle 1 (snig'l), n. [A var. of snigger 1 .'] A 
guttural, nasal, or grunting laugh; a snicker: 
used m contempt. 
Marks patronized his joke by a quiet introductory snig- 
Ote. H. B. Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin, viii. 
sniggle 2 (snig'l), v. ; pret. and pp. snigqled, ppr. 
sniggling. [Cwi^a-f-fe.] I. in trans, T o fish f or 
eels by thrusting bait into their lurking-places : 
a method chiefly English. 
You that are but a young Angler know not what snig- 
Imyli. . . . Any place where you think an Eele may hide 
or shelter her stlfe, there with the help of a short stick 
put in your bait. 
/. Walton, Complete Angler(reprint of 1663), x. 
I have rowed across the Pond, and sniggled for eels. 
S. Judd, Margaret, ii. 2. 
II. trans. To catch, as an eel, by pushing 
the bait into the hole where the eel is; hence, 
figuratively, to catch; snare; entrap. 
Theod. Now, Martell, 
Have you remember'd what we thought of? 
Mart. Yes, sir, I have sniggled him. 
The snores alone were quite a study, varying from the , "f"' """. F \^ and ""* - ' 
mild sniff to the stentorian snort. SmgSt (smgz), tnterj. A low oath. 
Cred. Snigs, another ! 
L. M. Atcott, Hospital Sketches, p. 43. 
sniffle (snif 'I), v. i. ; pret. and pp. sniffled, ppr. 
sniffling. [Early mod. E. also snifle; freq. of 
sniff, or var. of snivel or snuff 1 .'] To snuffle. ,*P 
Brouffer. To snort or snifle with the nose, like a horse. 
Cotgrave. 
A pretty crowd of sniffling, sneaking varlets he has been 
feeding and pampering. A. E. Barr, Friend Olivi 
A very perillous head, a dangerous brain. 
W. Carl-might, The Ordinary (1651). 
'snip), v. ; pret. and p 
(Hares.) 
r. 
sniffler (snif'ler), n. 
a capful of wind. 
[< sniffle + -erl.] 
Same as snuffles. 
ia, xiv. 
Naut., 
sniffles (snif 'lz), n. pi. 
sniffy (snif'i), a. [< sniff + -#i.] "Given 
sniffing; inclined to be scornful or disdainful ; 
pettish. [Colloq., U. S.] 
snift 1 (snift), v. [< ME. snyftsn, sniffle, < Sw. 
snyfta, sob, = Dan. snofte, snort, snuff, sniff; 
a secondary form cf the verb represented by 
sniff: see sniff.'] I. intrans. 1. To sniff; snuff; 
sniffle; snivel. Cotgrave. 
Still snifting and hankering after their old quarters. 
Landor. (Imp. Diet.) 
2. To pass the breath through the nose in a 
petulant manner. 
Resentment expressed by snifting. 
Johnson (under TOM/). 
II. trans. To snuff, as a candle. 
I would sooner snift thy farthing candle. 
Miss Burney, Camilla, iv. 8. 
snift 2 (snift), . [Perhaps a particular use of 
snift 1 ; but possibly orig. associated with snow 1 
(AS. sniwian, snow).] Slight snow or sleet. 
Halliwell. [Prov. Eng.] 
snifter (snifter), v. i. [< ME. snyftcren, sniffle : 
a freq. form of snift 1 : see snift 1 .'] To sniff; 
snift. [Obsolete or Scotch.] 
snifter (snif'tfer), n. [< snifter, .] 1. Anaudi- 
peren, cut in pieces). = MHG. snipfen, snippen, 
G.schnippen, snap(cf. G.schnippeln,schnippern, 
schnipfeln, cut in pieces); a secondary form of 
the verb represented by E. dial, snap (< Sw. 
dial, snoppa, etc., snip), and perhaps a col- 
lateral related to snap (D. snappen, G. schnap- 
pen, etc.), snap, catch: see snap, snuff?, and 
snap. Of. snib, snub 1 .'] I. trans. 1. To cut off 
at one light, quick stroke with shears or scis- 
sors ; clip ; cut off in any way : frequently with 
off. 
He wore a pair of scissors, . . . and would snip it off 
nicely. Arbuthnot. 
He has snipped off as much as he could pinch from 
eveiy author of reputation in his time. 
Landor, I mag. Conv., Southey and Person, ii. 
2. To steal by snipping. 
Stars and " Georges " were snipped off ambassadors and 
earls [by thieves] as they entered St. James's Palace. 
Quarterly Rev ., CXLV. 14. 
3. To make bysnipping or cutting: as, tosnzpa 
hole in one's coat. 4. To move or work lignt- 
ly; make signs with, as the fingers. [Rare.] 
The Eastern brokers have used for ages, and still use, 
the method of secretly indicating numbers to one ano- 
ther in bargaining by "snipping fingers under a cloth." 
"Every joynt and every finger hath his signification," as 
an old traveller says, and the system seems a more or less 
artificial development of ordinary finger-counting. 
E. B. Tylor, Prim. Culture, I. 223. 
II. intrans. To make a short, quick cut or 
clip; cut out a bit; clip: sometimes with at for 
the attempt to cut. 
ble passing of the breath through the nostrils; snip (snip), n. [See the verb.] 1. A clip; a 
a sniff. 2. pi. The stoppage of the nostrils in 
catarrh. 3. A dram; a nip. [Slang.] 4. A 
severe storm ; a blizzard. [Western U. S.] 
snifting-valve (snif'ting-valv), n. A valve in 
the cylinder of a steam-engine for the escape 
or the admission of air: so called from the pe- 
culiar noise it makes. Also called tail-valve, 
blow-valve. See cut under atmospheric. 
Spiftv (snif'ti), a. [X snift 1 + *?.] Having an 
inviting odor; smelling agreeably : a,s,a,snifty 
soup. [Slang, U.S.] 
snigi (snig), v. [A var. of snick.') I. trans. To 
cut or chop off. Halliwell. [Prov. Eng.] 
II. intrans. To cut; bite; nag. 
Others are so dangerously worldly, snigging and biting, 
usurers, hard and oppressing. 
Rogers, JSaaman the Syrian, p. 211. (Trench.) 
snig 2 (snig), n. [Also snigq; < ME. snigge, 
smjgge, an eel ; akin to snag^, snail, snake, ult. 
from the root of sneak.~\ An eel. [Prov. Eng.] 
snig 3 (snig), a. A dialectal variant of snug. 
Halliwell. 
snig-eel(sniK'el), n. A snig. See snig 2 . Pop. 
Sci. Mo., XXIX. 255. 
snigg, n. See suiy 2 . 
snigger 1 (snig'er), v. and . A variant of snicker. 
single cut with shears or scissors ; hence, any 
similar act of cutting. 2. A small piece cut 
off; a shred; a bit. 
Her sparkling Eye is like the Morning Star ; 
Her lips two mips of crimsin Sattin are. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, ii., The Trophies. 
Some small snip of gain. 
Dryden, Epil. at his Benefit, 1. 14. 
3. A share ; a snack. See to go snips, below. 
He found his friend upon the mending hand, which he 
was glad to hear, because of the mip that he himself ex- 
pected upon the dividend. Sir B. L'Estmnge. 
4. A tailor. [Cant.] 
Sir, here 's Snip the taylor 
Charg'd with a riot. 
Randolph, Muse's Looking Glass, iv. 3. (Davits.) 
A fashionable snip, who had authority for calling him- 
self " breeches-maker to H. R. H. Prince Albert," had an 
order to prepare some finery for the Emperor. 
C. A. Bruited, English University, p. 292, note. 
To go snipst, to go snacks ; share. 
The Gamester calls out to me to give him good Luck, 
and promises I shall go Snips with him In what he shall 
win. N. Bailey, tr. of Colloquies of Erasmus, II. 5. 
snipe 1 (snip), n. ; pi. snipe of snipes (see below). 
[< ME. snipe, snype, < Icel. snipa, a snipe (niyri- 
snipa, a moor-snipe); cf. Sw. sndppa, a sand- 
, \ 
snipe 
piper, = Dan. SHCJIJII; snipp. = MI). s/;i/. 
xni'/ijti; D. Hiiip. .tiic/i = illji;. . pe = 
OIK!, ."iii/iltil. i-iti'iilm, Hltljll'it, Mlfli. nut l*!'* , I!. 
acllin iij'r ( > lt.dial.x;/wy/yi),ii snipe; prob. Orig. 
a 'snipper' or 'snapper,' from the root of 
orsiid/i: sec *)/', xim/i. ] 1. A bird of t lie ge- 
nus fictiloptis in a former bi-o;i<l -cn^-o. <, 
or ny bird belonging to the family Sculujmciilir, having 
the bill straight, much longer than tin; h 
and sensitive at the end, and with a median lengthwise 
groove on the upper mandiUe near the end, the toes 
cleft to the base, the primaries not emarginate, and the 
tail-feathers barred; especially, n manlier of the genus 
Gauinagt (Aobpa being restricted to certain wood- 
cock). In Great Britain three sp.-cies of Gnltinago are 
called snipe. (1) The common snipe, or whole snipe, is 
Gallinago ecelettis or G. media, fonin rly " ' 
jack-snipe is G. gallmula. They differ little except in size. 
In the I nitrd .states the common snipe, also called jack- 
snipe and Wilson's snipe, is G. uilsoni or G. delicata, about 
as large as G. media, which it very closely resembles, so 
that It is sometimes known as the " English " snipe, to dis- 
tinguish it from various snipe-like birds peculiar to Amer- 
ica, and also bog-snipe, gutter snipe, meadow-snipe, a lev \Jt- 
bird, shad-bird, and shad-spirit. It is from 10J to lit Inches 
long and from 17J to 19J In extent of wings ; the bill is 
about 2j inches long. The upper parts are blackish, varied 
with bay and tawny ; the scapulars are edged with tawny 
or pale buff, forming a pair of firm stripes along the sides 
of the back when the wings are closed ; the lining of the 
wings and axillary feathers is barred regularly with black 
and white; the tail-feathers, normally sixteen in number, 
are barred with black, white, and chestnut ; the fore neck 
and breast are light-brown speckled with dark-brown ; and 
the belly is white. (SeecutunderGaiaao.) Snipeslike 
these, and of the same genus, are found in most countries, 
and are called by the same name, with or without a quali- 
fying term, (b) Some other scolopacine or snipe like liiid. 
There are very many such birds, chiefly distinguished from 
sandpipers (see sandpiper) by the length, from tattlers or 
gambets by the sensitiveness, and from curlews, godwits, 
etc., by the stralghtness of the bill. (1) In the United 
States the gray-backed or red-breasted snipes are birds of 
the genus Macrorhamphus, of which there are 2 species or 
varieties, the lesser and greater longbeak, M. grlsrut and 
M. seolopaceus. See douitcher. (2) The grass-snipe is the 
pectoral sandpiper, Actodromas maeulata. See cut under 
sandpiper. Also called jack-snipe, (s) The robin -snipe Is 
See 
r 
owlegi. (5) In Great Britain the sea-snipe is the dunlin 
nga or Pelidnaalpina, a sandpiper. (B) In Great Britain 
Tringa 
, 
the commo 
nnyncnsea or liostratula. See these words, (c) A common 
misnomer, in various localities, of the American woodcock, 
Philohela minor : also called common snipe, big snipe, mud- 
snipe, red-breasted snipe, big headed snipe, blind snipe, 
whistling snipe, wood-snipe. See woodcock, (d) A misno- 
mer of the long-billed curlew. R. Kidgway. [Salt Lake 
valley.] (e) pi. The Scolopacida ; the snipe family. [The 
plural means either two or more birds of one klna, or two 
or more kinds of these birds : in the former sense, the plu- 
ral is generally snipe; in the latter, snipes.} 
2. A fool; a blockhead; a simpleton; a goose. 
I mine own gain'd knowledge should profane, 
If I would time expend with such a snipe. 
But for my sport and profit. Shale., Othello, L 3. 391. 
And. by Jove, I sat there like a great snipe face to face 
with him [the bushranger] as cool and unconcerned as yon 
like. H. Klngsley, Geoffry llamlyn, xxxi. 
3. A half-smoked cigar found on the street. 
[Slang, U. 8.] _ Bertram's highland snipe. Same 
as highland plover. See planer. Bay-snipe, a bay- bird, 
or bay-birds collectively; a shore-bird. Beach-snipe, 
a beach-bird ; especially, the sanderling. See cut under 
sanderling. Blind snipe, the stilt-sandpiper, Microm- 
laina himantopus. See cut under Sticropalama. [New 
Jersey.) Brown snipe. Same as red-breasted snipe (a). 
Checkered snipe, the turnstone, Strepsilas interpret. 
[Barnegat.] Cow-snipe, the pectoral sandpiper. [Alex- 
andria, Virginia.] Dutch snlpet. Same as German 
snipe. English snipe, the common American snipe, 
Gallinago wilsoni or G. delicata. It is not found in 
England, but much resembles the common snipe of that 
and other European countries, G. media or G. ccelestis. 
See cut under Gallinago. [U. S.] Frost-snipe, the 
stilt-sandpiper, Xicropalama, himantoptis. [Local, U. 8.) 
German snipet. fee German Gray snipe, the red- 
breasted snipe, Macrorhamphus griseus, in gray plumage; 
the grayback. Jadreka snipe, the black-tailed god- 
wit, Limosa segocephala. Mire-snipe, the common Eu- 
ropean snipe, Gallinago media. [Aberdeen, Scotland.] 
Painted snipe, a snipe of the genus Rhynchxa (or 
Rostratvla), whose plumage, especially in the female, 
is of varied and striking colors. See Bhynchaa. Bed- 
breasted snipe. See red breasted. - Red-legged snipe, 
the redshank. Sablne's snipe, a melanistlc variety of 
the whole-snipe, formerly described as a different species 
(Gallinago sabinei}. Side snipe, a carpenters' molding 
side-plane. See sttipe-bitt, 1. Solitary snipe, the great 
or double snipe, Gallinago major. [Great Britain.] 
Whistling snipe. Same as greenshank. Whits-bel- 
lied snipe, the knot, Tringa cantitus, in winter plumage. 
[Jamaica.] Wilson's snipe. See def. 1 (a\ [So named 
from Alexander Wilson.] Winter snipe, the rock-snipe, 
or purple sandpiper. Woodcock-snipe, the little wood- 
cock, or great snipe, Gallinago major. [Great Britain.] 
(See also double-snipe, halfstiipe. horstfoot-snipe, jack- 
snipe, martin-snipe, quail-snipe, rail snipe, robin-snipe, 
rock-snipe, shore-snipe, whole snipe.) 
snipe 1 (snip), v. i.; pret. and pp. sniped, ppr. 
sniping. [< snipe 1 , n.} To hunt snipe. 
The pleasures of Bay bird shooting should not be spoken 
of in the same sentence with cocking or sniping. 
Sportsman's Gazetteer, p. 174, 
