snort

 
Pronunciation: /snɔːt/

noun

  • an explosive sound made by the sudden forcing of breath through one’s nose, used to express indignation, derision, or incredulity: he gave a snort of disgust
  • a snorting sound made by an animal, typically when excited or frightened: she could hear the occasional snort of a pony
  • informal a quantity of an illegal drug, especially cocaine, inhaled in powdered form through the nose: they were high on a few snorts
  • informal a measure of an alcoholic drink: a bottle of rum was opened and they took a good long snort

verb

[no object]
  • make a sudden explosive sound through one’s nose, especially to express indignation or derision: she snorted with laughter [with direct speech]: ‘How perfectly ridiculous!’ he snorted
  • (of an animal) make a sudden explosive sound through the nose, especially when excited or frightened: the horse came to a halt, snorting
  • [with object] informal inhale (the powdered form of an illegal drug, especially cocaine) through the nose: Debbie had spent the evening snorting cocaine and drinking

Origin:

late Middle English (as a verb, also in the sense 'snore'): probably imitative; compare with snore. The noun dates from the early 19th century