snort

From Middle English snorten, from earlier fnorten, from Old English *fnorettan, related to Middle English snoren, fnoren, from Old English fnora. See snore and sneeze for more on the change from fn- to sn-.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /snɔɹt/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)t

snort (plural snorts)

1. The sound made by exhaling or inhaling roughly through the nose.
   • 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World , London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

     "I absolutely refuse to leave, however, until we have made at least a superficial examination of this country, and are able to take back with us something in the nature of a chart." Professor Summerlee gave a snort of impatience.

2. (slang) A dose of snuff or other drug to be snorted.
3. (slang) A consumed portion of alcoholic drink.
   • 1945, John Steinbeck, Cannery Row:

     She unlocked the top drawer of the roll-top desk, took out a bottle and a glass and poured herself a snort.

   • 1951, Indiana Historical Society Publications, volumes 16-17, page 157:

     Everybody tipped up the jug and took a snort of whisky and followed it with a gourd of cool water. We thought a snort of whisky now and then braced us up some and put a little more lift in us.

   • 1978, George G. Gilman, Edge: Red River, Pinnacle Books, →ISBN, page 45:

     "It won't buy you any wine," Paxton told him.
     "I know that," the drunk replied in an insulted tone. "It's a pussy pass, ain't it?"
     Paxton grinned wearily. "How would you know that? You'd rather have a snort than a screw any day."

4. (nautical, UK) A submarine snorkel.

snort (third-person singular simple present snorts, present participle snorting, simple past and past participle snorted)

1. (intransitive) To make a snort; to exhale roughly through the nose.

   She snorted with laughter.

   • 1946 January and February, 'Talisman', “Bückeburg to Aberayron”, in Railway Magazine, page 41:

     Disembarkation seemed a slow business. From the deck one watched a "Merchant Navy" Pacific drift lazily along the track beside the wall of the Marine Station, and little South Eastern tanks go snorting fussily about.

2. (transitive) To express or force out by snorting.

   He snorted a derisory reply and turned on his heel.

3. (intransitive) To express contempt or disgust by (or as if by) a snorting sound.
   • 2023 June 30, Marina Hyde, “The tide is coming in fast on Rishi Sunak – and it’s full of sewage”, in The Guardian‎:

     Back in 2018, the body representing the water industry was snorting at Gove’s aspersions, declaring hotly that it looked forward to its pet regulator “bringing some sorely needed facts and balance to the debate”.

4. (transitive, slang, originally US) To inhale (usually a drug) through the nose.

   to snort cocaine

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To snore.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     the snorting citizens

6. (intransitive, nautical, of submarines) To sail at periscope depth through the use of a snort or snorkel.

• (inhale through the nose): insufflate

• ronts, trons

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snort

1. inflection of snorren:
   1. second/third-person singular present indicative
   2. (archaic) plural imperative