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Scuff vs Snuff - What's the difference?

scuff | snuff |

As verbs the difference between scuff and snuff

is that scuff is to mishit (a shot on a ball) due to poor contact with the ball while 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.

As nouns the difference between scuff and snuff

is that scuff is the back part of the neck; the scruff while 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).

As an adjective scuff

is caused by scraping, usually with one's feet.

scuff

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Caused by scraping, usually with one's feet.
  • Someone left scuff marks in the sand.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To mishit (a shot on a ball) due to poor contact with the ball.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=September 2 , author= , title=Wales 2-1 Montenegro , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=The Montenegro captain was finding space at will and followed up with a speculative shot that he scuffed wide, after Wales were slow in closing down the Juventus striker.}}
  • To scrape the feet while walking.
  • To hit lightly, to brush against.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=December 29 , author=Keith Jackson , title=SPL: Celtic 1 Rangers 0 , work=Daily Record citation , page= , passage=Wallace threw himself at it to connect with a flying header. He looked a certain scorer but his effort scuffed the inside of Fraser Forster’s post.}}

    Derived terms

    * scuff mark

    See also

    * scoff * scruff

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The back part of the neck; the scruff.
  • Anagrams

    *

    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