snifter

Meaning

Verb

1. (intransitive) To sniff; also, to snivel or snuffle.
2. (archaic, rare, transitive) Followed by out: to speak (words) in a nasal, snuffling manner.

Noun

1. (Northern-England, Scotland) A sniff.
2. (Northern-England, Scotland, figuratively) A strong or severe wind.
3. (figuratively) A small, wide, pear-shaped glass used for drinking aromatic liquors such as bourbon and brandy.
4. (figuratively, informal) Synonym of nip (“a small amount of an alcoholic beverage, especially one equivalent to what a snifter (sense 2.2) might hold”)
5. (US, figuratively, slang) Synonym of cocaine addict; a sniffer.
6. (US, figuratively, slang) A small amount of cocaine taken by inhaling through the nose.
7. (US, figuratively, slang) A handheld device used to detect signals from radio transmitters; a sniffer.

Synonyms

dram

brandy snifter

nip

brandy glass

peg

snorter

sniff

snort

snuffle

sniffer

Translations

borrel

Kognakschwenker

aperitief

apéritif

Kognakglas

apéro

bir içim

bir yudum

جرعة الكحول

yuvarlak likör kadehi

copa de conyac

verre

napoleone

taça de conhaque

aperitivo

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈsnɪftə(ɹ)/

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English snifteren, snifter, snyfter (“to sniffle”), possibly from *snift (possibly derived from a 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.