sniff test
/ˈsnɪf ˌtɛst/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.43 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An inspection of an object by smelling it, as for cleanliness of clothing or freshness of food.
noun
An inspection of an object by smelling it, as for cleanliness of clothing or freshness of food.
noun
A medical procedure involving a person taking quick, short sniffs which cause contraction of the diaphragm during a fluoroscopy, enabling abnormalities of the diaphragm to be detected; diaphragm fluoroscopy.
Example Sentences
- "Let wood dry overnight so solvent evaporates. Mr. [Hugh] Fite uses the sniff test: when he no longer smells solvent, the surface is likely dry enough."
- "Spices properly kept can last for months. To be sure the flavor hasn't weakened, give them the "sniff test" (check for a pungent aroma) and look for vibrant color."
- "Near-synonyms: reality check, sanity check, sanity test"
- "But does it pass the sniff test?"
- "After almost a year of tortuous deliberation, pro-Western forces at Delta prevailed, and the board agreed to purchase Western for a price which was over ten times the market price of Western when Delta had begun its early "sniff tests.""
- "I'm like the seasoned bachelor. I know what I'm looking for, and I don't have the time or inclination to wait until it finds me. No more protracted sniff tests, no more playing my cards close to the table. I have nothing to lose should my instincts turn out to be dead wrong."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈsnɪf ˌtɛst/
- British English: /ˈsnɪf tɛst/