n. & v.
--n.
1. a sudden involuntary expulsion of air from the nose and mouth caused by irritation of the nostrils.
2 the sound of this.
--v.intr. make a sneeze.
Phrases and idioms:
not to be sneezed at colloq. not contemptible; considerable; notable.
Derivatives:
sneezer n. sneezy adj.
Etymology: ME snese, app. alt. of obs. fnese f. OE -fnesan, ON fn|sa & replacing earlier and less expressive nese