What does snotter mean?
A snotter is a discharge of mucus from the nose, especially a small amount that is wiped or blown away. The term is blunt and somewhat informal, and it is most often encountered in British and North American regional speech. It can also have a dated meaning for the nozzle or opening of the nose, a usage now largely confined to older dialects and specialized dictionaries. In everyday conversation, “snot” is much more common, while “mucus” or “nasal discharge” provides a formal or medically neutral alternative. The word can appear in humorous or figurative descriptions of unpleasant, sticky, or repulsive situations, but it is not normally suitable for formal writing. Its historical relationship with “snot” and the longer-established “snout” reflects the word’s place in a Germanic vocabulary associated with the nose and nasal discharge.
nounMucus discharged from the nose, especially mucus that is blown or wiped away. In a dated and more restricted sense, the word also means the nozzle of the nose.
- A discharge of mucus from the nose, especially mucus expelled from the nostrils.
- The nozzle or opening of the nose.
"He quickly wiped away a snotter before the photograph was taken."
"There was a snotter on the sleeve of his jacket."
"The dictionary records the older, regional sense of a snotter as the end of the nose."
Used for separate amounts or discharges of mucus, though the word is uncommon outside regional or informal contexts.
"She wiped the snotters from her nose."
A snotter may sound like a tiny creature, but it is simply the blunt, old-fashioned name for nasal mucus.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of snotter
The word is formed from “snot” with an -er suffix and belongs to an English vocabulary of nasal mucus that also includes “snout.” The two words are associated with an ancient Germanic root referring to the nose or to projecting and nasal features. “Snotter” survives chiefly in regional usage, while the sense for the nozzle of the nose is now dated.
How snotter is actually used
The word is informal and may sound blunt or vulgar in formal contexts. It is more common in regional speech, while the sense meaning the nose itself is now dated.
Easily confused with snotter
A snotter is mucus discharged from the nose, whereas a snout is the projecting muzzle of an animal.