snore

Etymology

From Middle English snoren, fnoren (“to snore loudly; snort”), from Middle English snore, *fnore (“snore; snort”, noun), from Old English fnora (“snort; sneezing”), from Proto-Germanic *fnuzô, from Proto-Indo-European *pnew- (“to breathe; snort; sneeze”). Compare also Proto-Germanic *snarkjaną, Middle Low German snorren (“to drone”), Dutch snorren (“to hum, purr”).

The infrequency of the “fn” combination coupled with the visual similarity of an “f” and “ſ” (long “s”) assisted in ultimately turning “fnore” into “ſnore (snore)” (compare sneeze, from Middle English fnese).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /snɔː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /snɔɹ/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /sno(ː)ɹ/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /snoə/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)

Verb

snore (third-person singular simple present snores, present participle snoring, simple past and past participle snored)

1. To breathe during sleep with harsh, snorting noises caused by vibration of the soft palate.

Noun

snore (plural snores)

1. The act of snoring, and the noise produced.
2. (informal) An extremely boring person or event.

Anagrams

• Ensor, Neros, Norse, Roens, Rones, Rosen, noser, oners, renos, rosen, senor, seron, señor