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Slay vs Snuff - What's the difference?

slay | snuff |

In slang|lang=en terms the difference between slay and snuff

is that slay is (slang) to delight or overwhelm, especially with laughter while snuff is (slang) to kill a person; to snuff out.

As verbs the difference between slay and snuff

is that slay is to kill, murder 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 a noun 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).

slay

English

Verb

  • To kill, murder.
    • The knight slew the dragon.
    Our foes must all be slain .
  • (literary) To eradicate or stamp out.
    • You must slay these thoughts.
  • (by extension, colloquial) To defeat, overcome.
  • * 1956', “Giants '''Slay Bears in Pro Title Battle”, in ''Lodi News-Sentinel , 1956 December 31, page 8.
  • * 1985', “Redskins '''slay Giants; Thiesmann shatters leg”, in ''The Gadsden Times , 1985 November 19, page D1-5.
  • * 1993 , Jack Curry, “ Yanks’ Bullpen Falls Short Again”, in The New York Times , 1993 April 21:
    • The Yankees were actually slayed by two former Yankees because Rich Gossage pitched one scoreless inning in relief of Eckersley to notch his first victory.
  • (slang) To delight or overwhelm, especially with laughter.
    • Ha ha! You slay me!
    Usage notes
    * The alternative past tense and past participle form "slayed" is most strongly associated with the slang sense, "to delight or overwhelm": *: {{quote-book, i2=*::, 1929, Harry Charles Witwer, Yes Man's Land citation , passage="Cutey, you slayed me !" grins Jackie, working fast. "I guess that's what made the rest of 'em look so bad — you was so good!"}} * In recent use, "slayed" is also often found associated with the other senses as well. However, this is widely considered nonstandard."But slayed cannot be considered established in such use. Whether it eventually becomes established remains to be seen." — '>citation * A review of US usage 2000-2009 in COCA suggests that "slayed" is increasing in popularity, but remains less common than "slew". It is very rare in UK usage (BNC).

    Synonyms

    * kill, murder, assassinate * conquer, defeat, overcome * (to overwhelm or delight) kill, hit it out of the park

    Derived terms

    * slayer

    Related terms

    * onslaught * slaughter * self-slaughter

    References

    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