† fnese, v. Obs.
[OE. *fnéosan (whence fnéosung ‘sternutatio’ (Wr.-Wülck. 162), fnora ‘sternutatio’ (Corp. Gloss.), ᵹe-fnésan to sneeze (see below), cognate with Du. fniezen, ON. fn{yacu}sa (Da. fnyse, Sw. fnysa to snort).
The wk.-grade of the root *fneus- (? cogn. with Gr. πνέ-ειν, root *pneu- to breathe) is represented in OE. fnora sneezing (Corp. Gloss.). Closely parallel in sound and sense, though belonging to a different ablaut series, are ON. fnasa (see fnast n.) and fnœ́sa (:—*fnōs-ja) to snort.]
intr. To sneeze; also, to puff, snort. Hence ˈfnesing vbl. n.
| c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 162 Sternutatio..snytingc, uel fneosung. c 1386 Chaucer Manciple's Prol. 62 He speketh in his nose And fneseth faste. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vii. xi. (1495) 230 Constantyne sayth that fnesynge is a vyolent meuynge of y⊇ brayne to putte out superfluytees of fumositees therof. c 1400 Beryn 42 And þere-with she gan to fnese. |