Snozzle

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A playful, informal slang term for the nose on a person's face
2. A humorous colloquial name for the part of the face used for breathing and smelling
3. Used jokingly to refer to a person's nose, especially a large or prominent one

Etymology: "Snozzle" is a slang word for the nose, and it is a blend of two words that have nothing to do with the face. Its first half, "snoz" or "snozz," is itself a slang nose-word, and the second half echoes "nozzle," the tapered tip of a hose or pipe. The result is a playful fusion: the nose pictured as a kind of protruding spout. The blend works because both parts share a sound pattern and a sense of projection. A nozzle is a fitting that narrows and sticks out to direct flow, and the nose is the most forward-jutting feature of the face. Blending the two gives the word a comic, slightly mechanical tone, which is typical of informal coinages built on familiar sounds.

Synonyms: nose, snoot, conk