What does snuff mean?
Snuff has several related but distinct uses. As a verb, it usually means to extinguish a flame or light, especially by pinching or smothering the wick; in figurative use, 'snuff out' can mean to suppress a sound, movement, or opposing force. As a noun, snuff can refer to finely powdered tobacco placed on the back of the hand and inhaled through the nose, or to the practice of doing so. The expression 'take snuff' is familiar from older literature, when nasal tobacco was a common social habit. The word also appears in objects associated with this practice, such as snuffboxes, and in devices historically used to extinguish candles. Although snuff-taking is now uncommon in many countries, the word remains useful because its literal and figurative meanings are clearly connected: to 'snuff' something is to stop its flame, activity, or influence.
Finely powdered tobacco intended to be inhaled through the nose, or the practice of inhaling such tobacco.
"He took a pinch of snuff from his box."
The sense is now chiefly historical, literary, or regional, although the term remains familiar in older texts and in discussions of traditional tobacco use.
To extinguish a flame or light, especially by pinching or smothering it; by extension, to suppress or end something.
"She reached over and snuffed the lamp."
The phrase 'snuff out' is common both literally and figuratively. 'Snuff it' can mean to give up or abstain.
The plural is used for distinct portions, containers, or instances of snuff, though the plural is uncommon in modern usage.
"The shop displayed several small snuffs in silver boxes."
Before lighters and matches became commonplace, a small metal snuffer could put out a candle by closing its wick with a cone-shaped cover.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does snuff come from?
The English word entered through Dutch snuffen, meaning 'to sniff' or 'to take snuff,' with the noun referring originally to inhaled tobacco. Its separate sense of extinguishing a flame comes from the action of pinching or smothering a candle wick, historically associated with the same word's older meanings. English developed both the tobacco-related senses and the extinguishing sense, while snuffbox and snuffer reflect the long-standing cultural association with the practice.
Related word forms
How snuff is actually used
The verb is standard in British and American English. The noun referring to powdered tobacco is more common in historical, literary, and some regional contexts; the smoking of snuff has largely declined. The expression 'snuff it' can mean to give up or abstain from something.
Easily confused with snuff
The noun snuff can refer either to powdered tobacco or to the act of taking snuff, whereas the verb snuff commonly means to extinguish a flame or, figuratively, to suppress or end something.