Definition of snooze

The origin of the word "snooze" can be traced back to the 19th century when it was initially used as slang in the United States and the United Kingdom. The term "snooze" is believed to have been derived from the Middle English word "snussan," which meant "snore" or "sleep noisily." The phrase "to snussan" was first recorded in the late 15th century, and it was commonly used to mean "to snore loudly" or "to sleep heavily." However, over time, the meaning of the term evolved to refer to the act of putting off an unpleasant or unwelcome action or event. In the context of alarm clocks, the word "snooze" was first used in the 1930s to describe the feature that allowed users to delay the alarm's ring for a few minutes, allowing them to sleep for a shorter period before being awakened again. The exact origin of the specific word "snooze" in this context is unclear, but it is likely that it was commonly associated with the sleepy, groggy state that people experienced after hitting the snooze button. Overall, the word "snooze" reflects the common human tendency to avoid unpleasant or unwelcome situations, especially when they require us to wake up or start working early, and has become an essential part of our everyday vocabulary.