snifter

/ˈsnɪftə/

Etymology

The verb is derived from Middle English snifteren, snifter, snyfter (“to sniffle”), possibly from *snift (possibly derived from an Old Norse word—compare Old Danish snifte and Swedish snyfta (“to sniffle; to sob”); probably ultimately imitative) + -er- (frequentative suffix) + -en (suffix forming the infinitive of verbs). The noun is derived from the verb.

noun

  1. A sniff.
  2. A strong or severe wind.
  3. A small, wide, pear-shaped glass used for drinking aromatic liquors such as bourbon and brandy.“[H]e springs to another wooden vat and turns a valve, filling a snifter with a warm amber liquid. […] Bang holds the liquid up to the light, swirls it around, takes a sniff of the pungent bouquet, puts the glass to his lips—and gives a satisfied smile.”
  4. Synonym of nip (“a small amount of an alcoholic beverage, especially one equivalent to what a snifter (noun sense 2.2) might hold”)“"Sit down, bo," invited Soup Face. "I guess you're a regular all right. Here, have a snifter?" and he pulled a flask from his side pocket, holding it toward The Oskaloosa Kid.”
  5. Synonym of cocaine addict; a sniffer.
  6. A small amount of cocaine taken by inhaling through the nose.

verb

  1. To sniff; also, to snivel or snuffle.“Brouffer. To ſnurt, or ſnifter vvith the noſe, like a horſe.”
  2. Followed by out: to speak (words) in a nasal, snuffling manner.