snout
snout
Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
The IPA phonetic spelling for snout is /snaʊt/.
s - /s/ (as in "sun")
n - /n/ (as in "net")
ou - /aʊ/ (the "ow" diphthong, as in "cow" or "house")
t - /t/ (as in "top")
The word "snout" consists of a single syllable: /snaʊt/.
Word Form Variations
Singular: snout
Plural: snouts
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
The protruding nose, mouth, and jaws of an animal, especially mammals like pigs, dogs, or anteaters.
(Informal, often derogatory) A person's nose, particularly if it is large or prominent.
Synonyms: nose, hooter, schnoz, beak
Antonyms: (Not applicable)
The projecting front part of an object, such as the nozzle of a tool, the front of a vehicle, or the spout of a container.
Synonyms: nozzle, spout, tip, projection, front
Antonyms: rear, back, base, tail
Examples of Use
Books and Literature
In E.B. White’s Charlotte's Web, the protagonist Wilbur, being a pig, is often described by his primary tool for exploring: "He pushed with his snout... Wilbur rooted in the straw."
In George Orwell’s allegorical novel Animal Farm, the pigs' features are central. A description might read that a pig was "surveying the farm, his snout twitching," symbolizing his base instincts or greed.
A fantasy novel might describe a mythical beast: "The dragon lowered its scaled snout, smoke curling from its flared nostrils."
Newspapers and Online Publications
Science/Nature Reporting: "Scientists studying the Amazon river dolphin were fascinated by its long, thin snout, perfectly adapted for rooting out crustaceans from the muddy riverbed." (e.g., National Geographic or Scientific American).
Veterinary or Pet Care Articles: "If your dog’s snout is excessively dry, cracked, or running, it may be a sign of an underlying health issue." (e.g., AKC.org or a pet wellness blog).
Automotive Reviews: "The car's aggressive front end, often called a 'shark snout' by designers, cuts down on wind resistance but remains a polarizing design." (e.g., Car and Driver or The Verge).
Finance/Slang (UK): "The regulator is trying to get its snout in the trough," a common idiom (derived from pigs eating) used in financial news to describe organizations or individuals trying to get a greedy share of profits. (e.g., The Financial Times or The Guardian).
Entertainment (Film, TV, and Gaming)
Nature Documentaries: In a program like Planet Earth, a narrator (such as David Attenborough) might say, "The giant anteater uses its two-foot-long snout as a specialized vacuum, inhaling thousands of ants a day."
Film (Animated): In Disney's The Lion King, the warthog Pumbaa might complain about bugs, saying, "They get stuck right in my snout!"
Video Games: A bestiary or character description in a game like Elden Ring or The Witcher might warn the player: "The beast attacks with its armored snout, a blow capable of shattering shields."
General Public Discourse
Pet Owners: "Get your snout out of the trash! Bad dog!"
Describing Objects: "I can’t get the dirt out of the corner; I need the vacuum cleaner attachment with the really narrow snout."
Figurative/Informal (Derogatory): "He got punched right in the snout during the argument."
Slang (UK): "Be careful what you say around him; he’s a known police snout." (Meaning an informant or "nose").
10 Famous Quotes Using Snout
Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion. (The Bible, Proverbs 11:22)
You can't use tact with a Congressman! A Congressman is a hog! You must take a stick and hit him on the snout! (Henry Adams)
That I, one Snout by name, present a wall... (William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream)
He would put his snout to the ground, give several deep sniffs, and exclaim in a terrible voice, "Snowball!" (George Orwell, Animal Farm)
My nose is Gargantuan! You little Pig-snout, you tiny Monkey-Nostrils... (Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac)
But picture how the camel feels, squeezed out, / In one long bloody thread, from tail to snout. (C.S. Lewis, Poems)
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, / The worms play pinochle on your snout... ("The Hearse Song," Traditional American folk song)
...one on either side of his fat filthy oily snout in the winter starlight. (Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange)
Hatred has grown scale on scale, blow on blow, / in the ghastly water of the swamp, / with a snout full of ooze and silence. (Pablo Neruda, "The Dictators")
Add the fingers of a young monkey, the snout of a pig, the beak of a parrot, and three spoonfuls of sugar. (James and the Giant Peach)
Etymology
The word snout came into English in the early 1200s. It was borrowed from other Germanic languages, specifically Middle Dutch and Middle Low German, which had the word snute (pronounced similarly).
This original word, snute, simply meant "snout" or "muzzle." It was part of a whole family of words in ancient Germanic languages that started with "sn-" and had to do with the nose, such as:
Sniff
Snort
Sneeze
Snot
It is very likely that the original root word was "imitative," meaning it was created to sound like the action it describes—in this case, the sound of breathing, snorting, or sniffing air through the nose.
First Known Use and Meaning
First Use: The word "snout" (spelled snute) first appeared in English writing around the year 1220.
Original Meaning: Its meaning has barely changed in over 800 years. It was used in a "Bestiary" (a medieval book describing animals) to refer to the projecting nose and mouth of an animal, just as it is today.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Snout
Phrases Using "Snout"
To get one's snout in the trough: The most common idiom. It means to gain access to a share of money or resources, often in a greedy or opportunistic way. (e.g., "As soon as the grant money became available, everyone was trying to get their snout in the trough.")
A snout baron: (British slang) A person who gets rich by selling cigarettes, especially illicitly.
A police snout / "a snout": (British slang) A police informant or "nose." (e.g., "He got arrested because a snout told the cops where he was hiding.")
Giz a snout: (British slang, particularly Geordie) "Give me a cigarette."
Make a snout: An older or regional phrase meaning to make a face or grimace at someone.
Nose to snout: A variation of "nose to nose," used to imply a close, face-to-face encounter with an animal. (e.g., "I turned the corner and came nose to snout with a large bear.")
Snout-fair: An archaic (16th-century) term meaning "good-looking" or having an attractive face.
Idioms With Synonyms (Similar Effect)
These idioms use synonyms like "nose" or "muzzle" but carry a similar meaning or feeling.
To put a muzzle on it: To tell someone (or something) to be quiet or to silence them. (e.g., "He was spreading rumors, so we had to put a muzzle on him.")
To look down one's nose at: To regard someone or something with contempt or superiority.
To pay through the nose: To pay an excessively high price for something.
To keep one's nose out of it: To mind one's own business and not interfere.
To follow one's nose: To trust your instincts or to move straight forward.
On the nose: Exactly right (in amount, time, or description).
To stick one's nose in: To get involved in someone else's affairs in an unwelcome way.
To rub someone's nose in it: To unkindly and repeatedly remind someone of their failure or mistake.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of snout from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
