snifter
/ˈsnɪftəɹ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.71 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A sniff.
noun
A small, wide, pear-shaped glass used for drinking aromatic liquors such as bourbon and brandy.
noun
Synonym of nip (“a small amount of an alcoholic beverage, especially one equivalent to what a snifter (noun sense 2.2) might hold”)
Informal
Example Sentences
- "Brouffer. To ſnurt, or ſnifter vvith the noſe, like a horſe."
- "Nifler. To ſnifter, or ſnuffe vp ſniuell; to dravv it vp by dravving in the vvind."
- "I confess when I heard this read out in a strong, mellow and affecting tone, I could not resist crying; the tears ran down my cheeks, and I was obliged to dight them with my sleeve, and snifter like a whipped boy."
- "[H]e springs to another wooden vat and turns a valve, filling a snifter with a warm amber liquid. […] Bang holds the liquid up to the light, swirls it around, takes a sniff of the pungent bouquet, puts the glass to his lips—and gives a satisfied smile."
- ""Sit down, bo," invited Soup Face. "I guess you're a regular all right. Here, have a snifter?" and he pulled a flask from his side pocket, holding it toward The Oskaloosa Kid."
- "And now, old horse, you may lead me across the street to the Coal Hole for a short snifter."
Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English snifteren, snifter, snyfter (“to sniffle”), possibly from *snift (possibly derived from an Old Norse word—compare Old Danish snifte and Swedish snyfta (“to sniffle; to sob”); probably ultimately imitative) + -er- (frequentative suffix) + -en (suffix forming the infinitive of verbs). The noun is derived from the verb.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: snifteren, -
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈsnɪftəɹ/
- British English: /ˈsnɪftə/