sniffles
sniffles Lexical Profile
sniffles Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A mild head cold or respiratory ailment characterized by a runny nose and repeated sniffling (usually preceded by 'the').
"Several children stayed home from school today with a mild case of the sniffles."
Plural form of sniffle; repeated audible inhalations through the nose, as when crying or suffering from nasal congestion.
"Quiet sniffles could be heard throughout the theater during the emotional final scene of the film."
• verb
To inhale repeatedly and audibly through the nose, typically because of crying, cold weather, or nasal congestion (third-person singular simple present of sniffle).
"He always sniffles for the first ten minutes after coming inside from the freezing winter air."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to a mild cold or a runny nose, the noun is almost always used in the plural form preceded by the definite article ('the sniffles').
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed as a frequentative derivative of Middle English 'sniffen' (to draw air up the nose), adding the suffix '-le' to denote repeated, short inhalations.