Snorkel
/ˈsnɔːr.kəl/noun
A breathing tube used for swimming underwater while keeping the mouth and nose above the surface, or the act of using one.
Did you know?Snorkel entered English in the 20th century from German Snorchel, a word formed for the breathing tube itself rather than from any ancient mystical root.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*snūtaną
“to blow or snort”
Old English
OE
snor
“a snore, snort, or nasal sound”
19th Century
German
Snorchel
“a breathing tube used for underwater swimming”
Early 20th Century
English
snorkel
“a tube for breathing while swimming underwater”
Modern English
English
snorkel
“a breathing tube for swimmers or divers”