To extinguish a flame or life; powdered tobacco inhaled through the nose. To investigate or detect by smell.
From Middle English 'snuffen', possibly imitative of the sound of sniffing. The tobacco sense developed in the 17th century from the sniffing action required.
The phrase 'up to snuff' originally meant meeting the quality standards expected by discerning snuff users, who could detect inferior tobacco by smell alone. This evolved into our modern meaning of 'meeting expectations'.
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