snore

Etymology

From Middle English snoren, fnoren (“to snore loudly; snort”), from Middle English snore, *fnore (“snore; snort”, noun), from Old English fnora (“snort; sneezing”), from Proto-Germanic *fnuzô, from Proto-Indo-European *pnew- (“to breathe; snort; sneeze”). Compare also Proto-West Germanic *snarkōn, Middle Low German snorren (“to drone”), Dutch snorren (“to hum, purr”). The change fn → sn in this word is regular, seen also in sneeze, from Middle English fnesen (see that entry for more).

verb

1. To breathe during sleep with harsh, snorting noises caused by vibration of the soft palate.

noun

1. The act of snoring, and the noise produced.
2. (informal) An extremely boring person or event.