sniffer

[snif-er] /ˈsnɪf ər/
noun
1.
a person or thing that sniffs.
2.
a device or mechanism for detecting something.
Origin
1860-65; sniff + -er1
Examples from the web for sniffer
  • The device is a thousand times more sensitive than the current gold standard in explosives detection: the sniffer dog.
  • Specially trained sniffer dogs can smell something on the breath of lung cancer patients.
  • Sometimes a small, friendly sniffer dog comes around for a preliminary check.
  • The group doesn't stick a sniffer inside a closed car and consult a gauge.
  • Installing a packet sniffer does not necessarily require administrator-level access.
  • Consider purchase of an electronic sniffer to detect leaks.
British Dictionary definitions for sniffer

sniffer

/ˈsnɪfə/
noun
1.
a device for detecting hidden substances such as drugs or explosives, esp by their odour
2.
a computer program or device used to monitor, detect, and capture data on a network
Word Origin and History for sniffer
n.

"the nose," 1858, agent noun from sniff (v.).

Slang definitions & phrases for sniffer

sniffer

noun

A cocaine user or addict: The Baron was ''a sniffer'' himself (1920s+ Narcotics)


sniffer in Technology


packet sniffer