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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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SNOKE, v., n. Also snoak, sno(c)k, snoch, snook, snou(c)k, snowk. [snok, snox; snuk, snʌuk]

I. v. 1. tr. and intr. To sniff, smell, scent out, as a dog, snuff, poke with the nose (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis s.v. snokiss, 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Uls. 1929; Sh. (snook), em.Sc.(a), wm., sm.Sc. 1971). Also in Eng. dial.; ¶fig., to scorn, despise. Derivs.: snoker, one who smells at objects like a dog (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Watson); fig., a worthless person, a profligate (Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Watson); snokie, -ey, of the nose: suited to sniffing about; ¶snoukle, v., to snuff, to poke with the nose.Sc. 1722 R. Wodrow Sufferings III. viii. s.8:
The Dogs would snook and smell about the Stones under which they were hid.Ayr. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs vi.:
Wi' social nose [the dogs] whyles snuff'd an' snowkit.Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 96:
Breathin' that easterly harr is as bad as snooking down into your hawse sae many yards o' woollen.Edb. 1828 Blackwood's Mag. (June) 865:
Nuzzling with that snokey nose of his.Lnk. a.1832 W. Watt Poems (1860) 356:
Pointers, fresh frae Glasgow toun, . . . Wha'll snock ye out, baith up and down.Slk. 1847 W. Crozier Cottage Muse 16:
[He] held up his head, and ran an' snoakit.Abd. 1857 G. MacDonald Songs (1893) 42:
I snowk leise-majesty, my man !Wgt. 1896 66th Report Brit. Ass. 617:
This is the broo of knowledge, This is the ee of life, This is the snokie college [i.e. the nose].e.Lth. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 45:
A green-e'ed soo! Let it scud hame an' snoukle in its cruive.Arg. 1914 J. M. Hay Gillespie i. xii.:
I snowkit snaw in the west.Arg. 1917 A. W. Blue Quay Head Tryst 70:
He's yoked tae snokin' roun' for damp.Edb. 1965 J. K. Annand Sing it Aince 20:
Snowkin in the hedge-fute.

2. intr. To snort, to snigger. Also in Eng. dial.Fif. 1873 J. Wood Ceres Races 85:
Twa Sweethearts that sae leuch an' snowkit, To see Men-folk sae easy gowkit.Ayr. 1892 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 207:
A wee drap drink, wi' a canty chiel, Gars us laugh at the warl', an' snock at the Deil.Peb. 1960 Peb. News (28 Oct.) 5:
He snoched and he heched till I thocht he was gaun tae choke.

3. Fig.: intr. to hunt, search, to pry, to nose one's way, skulk, prowl, sneak about, go about furtively (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Uls. c.1840 W. Lutton Montiaghisms (1924); Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Arg. 1936 L. McInnes S. Kintyre 15; Sh., Per., wm., sm.Sc. 1971); to chase after amorously; to fawn, toady; tr. to smell out. Also in Eng. dial. Deriv. sno(o)ker, one who pries into others' affairs (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.), snooker-out, a self-seeker, one who is constantly on the hunt for his own advantage.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 51:
She's a sturdy gimmer, well worth the snoaking after.Sc. 1827 C. I. Johnstone Eliz. de Bruce I. xiv.:
Ye snooker out o' feasts o' fat things.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 140, 261:
I like nae sic snoakin' an' wark as has been gaun on the nicht aboot my lassie. . . . It's yon snoolin' snoukin' jook they ca' Gobbler.Fif. 1873 J. Wood Ceres Races 64:
Aye snowkin near some rich Man's house.Gsw. 1883 W. Thomson Leddy May 121:
Nor ribbons that cringin' and snokin' may gain.Kcb. 1893 Crockett Raiders xlv.:
Gin ony o' Agnew's men were gaun snowkin' roond.Ayr. 1896 H. Johnston Dr. Congalton xxiii.:
The craitur wud be sent roon to spy ferlies. He's aye snokin' aboot.Per. 1897 R. M. Fergusson Village Poet 149:
He pouched up my present an' aff syne he snookit.Slg. 1901 R. Buchanan Works 167:
Tam, like mony anither cuif, began to snook after the lassies.Sc. 1922 P. Macgillivray Bog Myrtle 105:
We snookit a trench to the rear.m.Sc. 1934 J. Buchan Free Fishers xi.:
I've snowkit round it, and ken the lie o' the land.Abd. 1940 C. Gavin Hostile Shore xiv.:
We've just about had enough of you snowkin' about the village.m.Sc. 1963 Scots Mag. (Dec.) 245:
Wi' the wind whistlin' through yer nostrils and snokin' doon into yer lungs.ne.Sc. 1992 Sheila Douglas ed. The Sang's the Thing: Voices from Lowland Scotland 244:
Ye'd tae go up tae Rothes on a Sunday night an the pub closed at nine, and ye'd come oot an wait for the bus, an ye seen aa this quines snookin aboot, an that wis the start o' it, happily. Arg. 1998 Angus Martin The Song of the Quern 57:
But cam a day her man wis snokin
roon the rocks an saw the twa:
'Ye're feedin a wee ratton, wumman -
where's yer sense at a?'

II. n. 1. A smell(ing), a sniff (Cld., Slk. 1825 Jam.; Sc. 1899 Mont.-Fleming; Mry. 1930; Slg., wm., sm.Sc. 1971).Sc. a.1758 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 291:
But Ah! these Catle didna ken him, And not ae friendly snowk wad len him.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr. Duguid 92:
We used to go out on Saturdays for a snoak of the caller air.

2. A sneak, a furtive person, a prowler, a prying, inquisitive person (Uls. 1929).Abd. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 67:
Wud Ockie she saw gae slinkin' ben the plantin'-side like a snouk.