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snor·kel (snôrkəl)
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n.
1. A breathing apparatus for swimmers and surface divers that allows swimming or continuous use of a face mask without lifting the head to breathe, consisting of a tube that curves out of the mouth and extends above the surface of the water.
2. A retractable vertical tube in a diesel-engine submarine that contains air-intake and exhaust pipes for the engines and for ventilation, permitting extended periods of submergence at periscope depth.
intr.v. snor·keled, snor·kel·ing, snor·kels
To swim or dive under water with a snorkel and often with a face mask and fins.
[German Schnorchel, from dialectal, nose (from its resemblance in shape to a nose).]
snorkel·er n.
(click for a larger image)
snorkel
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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