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Original · left

Sniff (smell)

To breathe in through the nose to smell something.

First in use: ancient / pre-modern
Duplicate · right

Packet sniffing

Capturing and inspecting network traffic as it passes.

First in use: the 1990s

Sniff / Sniff (smell) / Packet sniffing

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Canonical todayMeasuring…
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Duplicate share · 12 mo—
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Colour keyGrey · original meaningGreen · duplicate meaningAmber · contested (40–60%)How colours work

Smelling vs. capturing traffic.

Which meaning of Sniff is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Sniff (smell) came first (ancient / pre-modern). Packet sniffing arrived in the 1990s. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Sniff (smell)Packet sniffing
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

Share-of-attention line loads here.

The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · ancient / pre-modern

Sniff (smell)

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Duplicate · the 1990s

Packet sniffing

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More duplicated terms

Cybersecurity