Meaning & use
sniffer
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A dog or machine used to detect a substance such as drugs, explosives or gas by its smell or chemical trace.
Grammar: Often used before dog: a sniffer dog.
Patterns
- a sniffer dog
- a sniffer for something
A sniffer at the airport found the hidden package.
The police used a sniffer to check the luggage.
Gas companies use a sniffer to find leaks.
nouncountablecomputingtechnical
In computing, a program or device that watches data moving across a network and records it.
Grammar: Often called a packet sniffer.
Patterns
- a packet sniffer
A packet sniffer revealed the network problem.
Hackers can use a sniffer to read unprotected traffic.
The administrator installed a sniffer to find the slowdown.
nouncountableinformal
A person who sniffs, especially someone who inhales a substance, such as glue, for its effects.
Grammar: Usually part of a compound: a glue sniffer.
Patterns
- a glue sniffer
The charity helps young glue sniffers.
He is a notorious sniffer of every flower in the garden.
The report described a cocaine sniffer in the film.
Word forms
| plural | sniffers |
|---|
Common combinations
- sniffer dog
- A sniffer dog checked the bags.
- packet sniffer
- A packet sniffer captured the traffic.
- gas sniffer
- The engineer carried a gas sniffer.
- bomb sniffer
- A bomb sniffer is used at large events.
- network sniffer
- The network sniffer showed the error.
Synonyms and how they differ
- detector
- Detector is the general word for any device that finds something, while sniffer stresses smell or traces of a substance.
- tracker
- Tracker follows the position or movement of something rather than detecting its chemical traces.
- scent hound
- Scent hound is a breed type, whereas sniffer is the working role a dog may have.
- monitor
- Monitor watches continuously and may not detect any substance.
Word family
Commonly confused: sniffer or snitch?
sniffer vs snitch
A snitch is an informer who tells on others; a sniffer detects by smell or monitors data.
Practice
Customs officers used a ___ to find hidden drugs in the suitcase.
Choose one answer.
A sniffer dog is trained to detect substances by smell. A guard dog protects property and does not search luggage.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sniffer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.