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.
 
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