# snot

/ˈsnɔt/ (US) · /snˈɒt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/snot
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. nasal mucus

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

the thick, sticky liquid that comes out of your nose when you have a cold.

For teachers: nasal mucus. Uncountable in this sense; informal in register.

- The toddler had snot running down his face because he lost his tissue.
- The child wiped a smear of snot across his sleeve, much to the disgust of the teacher standing nearby.

### 2. an annoying child

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

a rude word for a child who is annoying or thinks they are better than others.

For teachers: a contemptible or arrogant child or young person. Countable; derogatory in tone.

- I don't want that little snot playing with my expensive electronics.
- He was a spoiled little snot who expected the staff to cater to his every whim without question.

### 3. to clear the nose

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · Dialect

to blow or wipe liquid out of your nose.

For teachers: to clear nasal mucus from the nose. Often used intransitively to describe the act of snivelling.

- He was snotting and crying into his handkerchief after the sad movie.
- The patient spent the entire consultation snotting into a pile of damp tissues, clearly suffering from a severe respiratory infection.

## Examples

- He wiped the snot from his nose with a tissue.
- The child was running with snot down his face after playing outside in the cold wind.
- The thick snot accumulated in the corners of the child's nostrils, a visible sign of the viral infection that had kept him home from school for three days.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.