noun Uncommon

snuff

snuhf

Snuff (noun) means Finely ground tobacco meant to be inhaled through the nose or held against the gum. Example: “His grandfather still took a pinch of snuff after dinner.”

noun

Finely ground tobacco meant to be inhaled through the nose or held against the gum.

"His grandfather still took a pinch of snuff after dinner."

verb

To put out a candle flame by pinching or covering it.

"She snuffed the candle before going to bed."

To put an end to something completely; to extinguish.

"The scandal snuffed out his political career."

How to use snuff

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishPowdered tobacco for sniffing, or putting out a flame (literally or figuratively ending something).

Common mistake

A "snuff film" is unrelated slang referring to a supposed real-murder recording — don't confuse the tobacco sense with that usage.

Common pairings

take snuff snuff out a candle snuff out hope

Word forms

snuffed past tense, snuffed past tense, snuffs plural, snuffs plural, snuffs singular, snuffs singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “snuff” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

His grandfather still took a pinch of _____ after dinner.

Etymology

Late Middle English, from Middle Dutch snuffen (“to snuff, sniff, snuffle”). Related to Dutch snuiven (“to sniff”), Middle Low German snûve (“pose, head-cold”), German Schnupfen (“head-cold”). The noun is probably from Dutch snuf (“snuff”), an abbreviation of snuftabak, snuiftabak (“snuff”). Related to sniff (compare Dutch snuffen (“snuff”), German schnupf (“snuff”), French schnouff (“junk”)).

Origin: Middle Dutch

Synonyms

View more →

sniff snuffle

Related words

cocaine sniff snuffle sniffle

Rhymes for snuff

buff duff muff ruff tuff cuff puff huff guff stuff bluff gruff

See all rhymes for snuff →

Frequently asked questions

What does “snuff” mean?

The word “snuff” means finely ground tobacco meant to be inhaled through the nose or held against the gum. In plain terms, powdered tobacco for sniffing, or putting out a flame (literally or figuratively ending something).

How do you pronounce “snuff”?

“Snuff” is pronounced snuhf (/snʌf/ in IPA).

How do you use “snuff” in a sentence?

Here is “snuff” used in a sentence: “His grandfather still took a pinch of snuff after dinner.”

What part of speech is “snuff”?

Depending on how it is used, “snuff” can be a noun and a verb.

Is “snuff” a common word?

“Snuff” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “snuff” have?

“Snuff” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: finely ground tobacco meant to be inhaled through the nose or held against the gum.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include snuff:

Words that end with F

People also searched

cocaine sniff snuffle sniffle