Snore
/snɔːr/noun
To breathe noisily through the mouth or nose while asleep.
Did you know?Snore is an old Germanic sound-word, and it survives in related forms across North Germanic languages, showing how everyday speech can preserve raw human noise for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*snur- / *snor-
“an imitative base for harsh, snoring or snorting sounds”
Old Norse
ON
snora
“to snore; make a snoring noise”
Middle English
ME
snoren
“to breathe noisily in sleep”
15th Century
English
snore
“to breathe noisily while asleep”
Modern English
English
snore
“to breathe noisily through the mouth or nose while asleep”