To examine or analyze files, especially to scan files for malware, viruses, or other suspicious content.
Compound from 'file' (Old English 'feol', now computing) + 'sniff' (Middle English 'sniffen', meaning 'to smell or snoop'). Modern computing jargon combining tool terminology with inspection.
The verb 'sniff' in computing comes from 'packet sniffing,' where programs examine network data like a dog sniffing the wind—applying animal behavior words to digital security shows how humans understand new technology through the natural world!
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