Cornish mining. [A survival of the early form of SNUFF sb.1] (See quots.)
1860. Eng. & For. Mining Gloss. (ed. 2), 23. Snoff, or Match,… brown paper, or other slowly combustible substance, which is ignited at one end, the other being in contact with the rush or train in blasting.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., Snoff, a short candle-end, put under a fuse to light it.
1891. J. H. Pearce, Esther Pentreath, I. i. Dick having charged the hole with powder, set fire to the train with a ‘snoff’ from his candle.
