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snirt

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Origin uncertain. Either from Middle English snurten (to sneer; snort, snore), a variation of snorten (to snort); or from Middle English *snyrten, an alteration of fnyrten, fnerten, from Old English fnǣrettan. Compare also Norwegian snurt (vexed, peevish), Middle English snirt (stern, gloomy).

Verb

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snirt (third-person singular simple present snirts, present participle snirting, simple past and past participle snirted)

  1. (Scotland) To give a suppressed laugh or sharp intake of breath.
    • 1833, Anonymous, writing in The Dublin University Magazine: A Literary and Political Journal, page 575, "Willie and Pate":
      "He grins, and snirts, and thraws ye ken —
      I maist could die, wi' laughin."
    • 1837, James Hogg, “Katie Cheyne”, in Tales and Sketches, page 172:
      "But ye see there was a great deal of blushing and snirting, and bits of made coughs, as if to keep down a thorough guffau."
    • 1871, William Black, A daughter of Heth: A novel, page 160:
      The Whaup grew very red in the face, and ‘snirted’ with laughter."

Noun

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snirt (plural snirts)

  1. (Scotland) A suppressed laugh; a sharp intake of breath.
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Blend of snow +‎ dirt

Noun

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snirt (uncountable)

  1. (Canada, US) Snow that is dirty, often seen by the side of roads and parking lots that have been plowed.
    • 1975, United States House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Related Agencies, Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations for 1976[1], page 175:
      We then have what we call ‘snirt’ storms.
    • 1985, United States House Committee on Agriculture, General Farm Bill of 1985: Hearings Before the Committee on Agriculture[2], page 924:
      Snirt or a mixture of snow and dirt is the term popularly applied to the windrows of dirt along the roads during a Minnesota winter.
    • 1997, William S. Burroughs, Last Words, Grove Press, →ISBN, page 73:
      Snirt’ is a thing of the spring.
    • 2004, Dean Norman, Studio Cards: Funny Greeting Cards and People Who Created Them, Trafford Publishing,, →ISBN, page 131:
      [] it wasn't a hard winter. Only a couple of blizzards and snirt and snuss storms.
Derived terms
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Anagrams

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