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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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SNOCHER, v., n. Also snocker, snockir, snokkir, snoker. [′snoxər, -kər]

I. v. 1. To snort, to breathe heavily and noisily through the nose, to snuffle (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis, snoker, s.v. snokis; Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff, 174; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; ne. and em.Sc.(a) 1971). Also fig.; tr., to snort or puff out. Also ppl.adj. snochrin.Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 82:
Gin she but bring a wee bit tocher, And calshie fortune deign to snocher.Slk. 1825 Hogg Queer Book (1832) 184:
He hemm'd, and he snocker'd so awsome loud, That the leaves shook on the tree.Edb. 1878 J. Smith Peggy Pinkerton 35:
Wi' Pincher [his dog] snockerin' at his side.Ags. 1887 A. D. Willock Rosetty Ends 135:
A snarlin' an' snocherin' that cudna hae been surpassed by that heard by the wicked coonsellors o' Darius.Fif. 1890 A. Burgess Poute 40:
Yae juff and Snokkir steem wi' suh a Forse.Abd. 1956 People's Jnl. (28 April):
A couple o' days o' snocherin' an' sneezin'.Abd. 1963 J. C. Milne Poems 73:
Mony a snocherin snoot as weel.m.Sc. 1985 William J. Rae in Joy Hendry Chapman 40 18:
He wis an auld eagle, and he wis pechin and forfochen wi the trauchle o flicht. Luikin doun frae the brainch, he spied Ogilvy snorin and snocherin in his nest. Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 51:
As fou's a puggie maist o the week,
that snochert whiles he could barelies speak
but sat, heid doon a' haverin
aye tae himsel, mumpin, slaverin,
reid i the neb, cramasie i the cheek. em.Sc. 1988 James Robertson in Joy Hendry Chapman 52 71:
'Come the keek o day, an the first bummer gaed aff - loud eneuch, ye'd hae thocht, tae wauken the deid. But it didna steir our man - na, na, he juist snochert an snirtit an keepit on sleepin. ... ' Abd. 1995 Sheena Blackhall Lament for the Raj 26:
Teenie an wee, the bummer, the flee,
The emmack, the gleg, the moch;
The dyeuk, the coo an the snochrin soo,
The troot frae the skinklin loch.

2. To snore, to snooze, to laze about.Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 83, 184:
Fat are ye sittin' snocherin' an' sleepin' there for? . . . Aw dinna like to sit an' snocher aboot a' evenin'.

3. tr. To snuff up, e.g. nasal drops (Ags. 1971).Per. 1830 Perthshire Advert. (2 Sept.):
I have used snuffs, and snockered lotions.

II. n. 1. A snort, a snore, the act of breathing noisily through the nose (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 174; ne. and em.Sc.(a) 1971).Sc. 1820 A. Sutherland St Kathleen IV. vi.:
It gied a snocher like a toutin' horn.Slk. 1825 Hogg Queer Book (1832) 191:
He heard a snocker, and then a laugh, And then a smother'd scream.Ags. 1840 G. Webster Ingliston xxxv.:
Wi' that he gae a kind o' snocker, and out he bangs his pocket-napkin.Per. 1881 R. Ford Hum. Sc. Readings 58:
An occasional snocker frae her sleepin' faither.Abd. 1966 Huntly Express (1 April) 2:
He heard "a great snocher an' a nicher."

2. In pl.: a severe nose-cold, causing stoppage of the nostrils (Sc. 1825 Jam.; ne. and em.Sc. (a) 1971).Abd. 1867 W. Anderson Rhymes 32:
She could start reisted horses without spur or whip, Cure dogs o' the snochers, or hens o' the pip.