subs. (American).—1. Anything large or exceptional: spec. a gale of wind, a heavy snow-storm: cf. SNEEZER: see WHOPPER.
1846. T. B. THORPE, The Mysteries of the Backwoods, 182. ‘I am a roaring earthquake in a fight,’ sung out one of the half-horse, half-alligator species of fellows, ‘a real SNORTER of the universe.’
1856. J. REYNOLDS, Peter Gott, the Cape Ann Fisherman, ix. 114. The skipper observed, ‘After we have had our grub, we must make all snug, for we’re going to have a SNORTER.’
1891. H. B. MARRIOTT-WATSON, The Web of the Spider, xv. ‘And what’s to become of me, then?’ asked Ida. Foster hesitated. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘that’s rather a SNORTER. I dunno’ where we could put you.’
1897. KENNARD, The Girl in the Brown Habit, i. Some of these fences are regular downright SNORTERS.
2. (common).—The nose: see CONK.
