Quick, loud breathing sounds made through the nose, often expressing laughter, contempt, or exertion, or a sudden burst of laughter itself.
From Middle English 'snorten,' which is onomatopoetic (imitating the sound itself). The word appears related to 'snore' but captures the shorter, sharper version of that nasal sound.
Snorting is actually a genuine human laugh response that we share with primates—it's involuntary and happens when something is genuinely funny and you're trying to hold back! That's why people always snort when they're fighting hard not to laugh.
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