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Snuff vs Quench - What's the difference?

snuff | quench |

As nouns the difference between snuff and quench

is that snuff is finely]] [[grind|ground or pulverized tobacco intended for use by being sniffed or snorted into the nose or snuff can be the burning part of a candle wick, or the black, burnt remains of a wick (which has to be periodically removed) while quench is (physics) the abnormal termination of operation of a superconducting magnet, occurring when part of the superconducting coil enters the normal (resistive) state.

As verbs the difference between snuff and quench

is that snuff is to inhale through the nose or snuff can be to extinguish a candle or oil-lamp flame by covering the burning end of the wick until the flame is suffocated while quench is to satisfy, especially an actual or figurative thirst.

snuff

English

Etymology 1

Related to .

Noun

  • Finely]] [[grind, ground or pulverized tobacco intended for use by being sniffed or snorted into the nose.
  • Fine-ground or minced tobacco, dry or moistened, intended for use by placing a pinch behind the lip or beneath the tongue; see also snus.
  • * 1896 , Universal Dictionary of the English Language :
    • Dry snuffs' are often adulterated with quicklime, and moist ' snuffs , as rappee, with ammonia, hellebore, pearl-ash, etc.
  • A snort or sniff of fine-ground, powdered, or pulverized tobacco.
  • The act of briskly inhaling by the nose; a sniff, a snort.
  • Resentment or skepticism expressed by quickly drawing air through the nose; snuffling; sniffling.
  • (obsolete) Snot, mucus.
  • (obsolete) Smell, scent, odour.
    • Derived terms
    * up to snuff

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To inhale through the nose.
  • * Dryden
    • He snuffs the wind, his heels the sand excite.
  • *
    • Napoleon paced to and fro in silence, occasionally snuffing at the ground.
  • To turn up the nose and inhale air, as an expression of contempt; hence, to take offence.
  • * Bishop Hall
    • Do the enemies of the church rage and snuff ?

    Etymology 2

    Origin uncertain.

    Noun

    (-)
  • The burning part of a candle wick, or the black, burnt remains of a wick (which has to be periodically removed).
  • *, II.3.3:
    • his memory stinks like the snuff of a candle when it is put out […].
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • If the burning snuff happens to get out of the snuffers, you have a chance that it may fall into a dish of soup.
  • (obsolete) Leavings in a glass after drinking; heel-taps.
  • (attributive) Pertaining to a form of pornographic film which involves someone's actually being murdered.
    • Derived terms
    * snuff-dish * snuff film * snuff movie * snuffter

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To extinguish a candle or oil-lamp flame by covering the burning end of the wick until the flame is suffocated.
  • (obsolete) To trim the burnt part of a candle wick.
  • * 1817 , , Northanger Abbey , [http://books.google.com/books?id=9QQ9AAAAYAAJ&dq=%22snuffed%20and%20extinguished%20in%20one%22&pg=PA205#v=onepage&q=snuffed&f=false]:
    • The dimness of the light her candle emitted made her turn to it in alarm; but there was no danger of its sudden extinction, it had yet some hours to burn; and that she might not have any greater difficulty in distinguishing the writing than what its ancient date might occasion, she hastily snuffed' it. Alas! it was ' snuffed and extinguished in one.
  • (slang) To kill a person; to snuff out.
    • Derived terms
    * snuffer * snuff it * snuff out

    quench

    English

    Verb

    (es)
  • To satisfy, especially an actual or figurative thirst.
    • The library quenched her thirst for knowledge.
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4
    • I began also to feel very hungry, as not having eaten for twenty-four hours; and worse than that, there was a parching thirst and dryness in my throat, and nothing with which to quench it.
  • To extinguish or put out (as a fire or light.)
    • Then the MacManus went down. The sudden quench of the white light was how I knew it. -- Saul Bellow
  • To cool rapidly by dipping into a bath of coolant, as a blacksmith quenching hot iron.
    • The swordsmith quenched the sword in an oil bath so that it wouldn't shatter.

    Noun

    (es)
  • (physics) The abnormal termination of operation of a superconducting magnet, occurring when part of the superconducting coil enters the normal (resistive) state.