Sneeze
/sniːz/noun
To expel air suddenly and violently from the nose and mouth, usually because of irritation.
Did you know?In many cultures, sneezing was treated as an omen or a moment when the body’s boundary briefly opened, which is why people developed rituals and blessings around it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sneu-
“to sniff, breathe hard, make a nasal sound”
Old English
OE
fnēosan
“to sneeze; to snort”
Middle English
ME
snesen / snesen
“to sneeze”
Early Modern English
English
sneeze
“to sneeze”
Modern English
English
sneeze
“to expel air suddenly from the nose and mouth”