snort

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   make a snorting sound by exhaling hard

   The critic snorted contemptuously.

2. 2
   verb

   indicate contempt by breathing noisily and forcefully through the nose

   They snorted their disapproval of the proposal.

3. 3
   verb

   inhale recreational drugs

   The addict was snorting cocaine almost every day.

4. 4
   noun

   The sound made by exhaling or inhaling roughly through the nose.

   "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.

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-.

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