Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Sense: 1-2
Date: 1300-1400
Origin: snuff 'burned part of a used candle' (14-19 centuries).
Sense: 3
Date: 1500-1600
Language: Dutch
Origin: snuffen 'to sniff'

snuff

1 verb
     
snuff1
1 also snuff out [transitive] to stop a candle burning by pressing the burning part with your fingers or by covering it
2

snuff it

British English informal to die
3 [intransitive and transitive] if an animal snuffs, it breathes air into its nose in a noisy way, especially in order to smell something [= sniff]

snuff something/sb↔ out

phrasal verb
1 to stop a candle burning by pressing the burning part with your fingers or by covering it
2 to stop or end something in a sudden way:
a rebellion that will snuff out democracy
3 informal to kill someone:
a young woman snuffed out by an unknown killer
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary