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-.
Meanings
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. 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
(slang) A dose of snuff or other drug to be snorted.
(slang) A consumed portion of an alcoholic drink.
"It won't buy you any wine," Paxton told him.
"I know that," the drunk replied in an insulted tone. "It's a pussy pass, ain't it?"
Paxton grinned wearily. "How would you know that? You'd rather have a snort than a screw any day." 1978, George G. Gilman, Edge: Red River, Pinnacle Books, →ISBN, page 45:
She unlocked the top drawer of the roll-top desk, took out a bottle and a glass and poured herself a snort. 1945, John Steinbeck, Cannery Row:
Everybody tipped up the jug and took a snort of whisky and followed it with a gourd of cool water. We thought a snort of whisky now and then braced us up some and put a little more lift in us. 1951, Indiana Historical Society Publications, volumes 16-17, page 157:
fr reniflement (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · bg сумтене (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · ro pufăit (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · pl fukanie (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · ru понюшка (dose of drug to be snorted) · es resoplido (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · gd srannartaich (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · ca esbufec (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · pl prychanie (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · ru фы́рканье (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · gl runflada (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · cs lajna (dose of drug to be snorted) · tr burnundan soluma (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · pl parskanie (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · fi korskahdus (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · itk סְטֵירַאנוּטַאמֵינְטוֹ (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · cy ffroenochi (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · mi peru (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · fi nuuhkaus (dose of drug to be snorted) · nb fnys (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · gl esgorriada (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · mi kuruwhengu (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · nl snuiven (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · sv fnysa (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · fi viiva (dose of drug to be snorted) · gl funxido (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · cs odfrknutí (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · cy ffroeni (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · mi horu (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · ru шмы́ганье (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · sk fŕkať (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · es bufido (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · pl sapanie (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · es resoplar (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · it sbuffo (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · nn fnys (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · it sbuffata (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · cs frknutí (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · az fınxırmaq (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · de Schnauben (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose) · sh šmrkanje (sound made by exhaling roughly through the nose)
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-.
Meanings
(intransitive) To make a snort; to exhale roughly through the nose.
She snorted with laughter.
Disembarkation seemed a slow business. From the deck one watched a "Merchant Navy" Pacific drift lazily along the track beside the wall of the Marine Station, and little South Eastern tanks go snorting fussily about. 1946 January and February, 'Talisman', “Bückeburg to Aberayron”, in Railway Magazine, page 41:
(transitive) To express or force out by snorting.
He snorted a derisory reply and turned on his heel.
(intransitive) To express contempt or disgust by (or as if by) a snorting sound.
Back in 2018, the body representing the water industry was snorting at Gove’s aspersions, declaring hotly that it looked forward to its pet regulator “bringing some sorely needed facts and balance to the debate”. 2023 June 30, Marina Hyde, “The tide is coming in fast on Rishi Sunak – and it’s full of sewage”, in The Guardian:
(slang, transitive) To inhale (usually a drug) through the nose.
to snort cocaine
(intransitive, obsolete) To snore.
the snorting citizens c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
(intransitive, of submarines) To sail at periscope depth through the use of a snort or snorkel.
es ñatear (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · pt resfolegar (to exhale roughly through the nose) · ca esbufegar (to exhale roughly through the nose) · nl snuiven (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · ru фы́ркать (to exhale roughly through the nose) · ro trage pe nas (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · hu tüsszent (to exhale roughly through the nose) · ro pufăi (to exhale roughly through the nose) · it sbuffare (to exhale roughly through the nose) · sk frknúť (to exhale roughly through the nose) · io snortar (to exhale roughly through the nose) · mi horu (to exhale roughly through the nose) · gl esbufar (to exhale roughly through the nose) · sk šňupať (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · gl fungar (to exhale roughly through the nose) · fr renifler (to exhale roughly through the nose) · pt cheirar (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · es bufar (to exhale roughly through the nose) · es esnifar (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · fi korskua (to exhale roughly through the nose) · pl prychać (to exhale roughly through the nose) · de sniffen (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · fo froysa (to exhale roughly through the nose) · ja 鳴らす (to exhale roughly through the nose) · mi peru (to exhale roughly through the nose) · gl esborrecar (to exhale roughly through the nose) · pl parsknąć (to exhale roughly through the nose) · cs frkat (to exhale roughly through the nose) · pl fyrknąć (to exhale roughly through the nose) · it sniffare (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · hu prüszköl (to exhale roughly through the nose) · es tomar (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · bg смъркам (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · fi nuuskata (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · grc φρυάσσω (to exhale roughly through the nose) · sh šmrkati (to exhale roughly through the nose) · es esnifiar (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · de schnauben (to exhale roughly through the nose) · sv sniffa (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · pl prychnąć (to exhale roughly through the nose) · li snoeve (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · fr sniffer (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · sv snorta (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · cs šňupnout (si) (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · tr çekmek (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · es inhalar (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · gl rebufar (to exhale roughly through the nose) · sv dra (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · chr ᎠᏟᏴᏌᎾᏩᏍᏗᎭ (to exhale roughly through the nose) · fo sniffa (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · pl fyrkać (to exhale roughly through the nose) · ru вдохну́ть (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · vi khịt (to exhale roughly through the nose) · mi horuhoru (to exhale roughly through the nose) · cs frknout (to exhale roughly through the nose) · he הִסְנִיף (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · cs šňupat (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · bg сумтя (to exhale roughly through the nose) · es resoplar (to exhale roughly through the nose) · ru вдыха́ть (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · pl parskać (to exhale roughly through the nose) · de schnupfen (to exhale roughly through the nose) · gl runflar (to exhale roughly through the nose) · km ហិតខ្លាំងៗ (to exhale roughly through the nose) · sk fŕkať (to exhale roughly through the nose) · pt snifar (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · hu horkant (to exhale roughly through the nose) · mi whengu (to exhale roughly through the nose) · tr burnundan solumak (to exhale roughly through the nose) · ru фы́ркнуть (to exhale roughly through the nose) · fi sniffata (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · es jalar (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · sh ušmrtkati (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose) · cmn 哼 (to exhale roughly through the nose) · de schnupfen (to inhale (usually a drug) through the nose)