Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
snorkel breather

snorkel breather

9.5
A pipe pulled out to let a submarine get air while underwater
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : dispositivo de snorkel
  • Thanks to the snorkel breather, submarines can operate underwater for days without surfacing.

Examples

  • The engineer inspected the snorkel breather to ensure it functioned properly before the submarine submerged.

  • A malfunction in the snorkel breather forced the captain to bring the vessel to the surface earlier than planned.

  • The submarine was equipped with a snorkel breather.

  • Many modern submarines use snorkel breathers for efficiency.

  • Thanks to the snorkel breather, submarines can operate underwater for days without surfacing.

  • A malfunction in the snorkel breather forced the captain to bring the vessel to the surface earlier than planned.

  • The engineer inspected the snorkel breather to ensure it functioned properly before the submarine submerged.

Synonyms

breather
vssnorkel breather
  • Specialized
5 9.6

A device with pipes that lets a submarine take in air while staying underwater

is specified as retractable in the main description
snorkel
vssnorkel breather
  • Specialized
1 7.8

A pipe that lets a submarine take in air while staying near the surface

describes device generally not tied to engine use
schnorchel
vssnorkel breather
  • UK
9.9

A tube that lets a submarine take air from the surface while under water

is the general device described without saying surface reach
schnorkel
vssnorkel breather
  • UK
9.9

A device with pipes that lets a submarine take air while just below the water

focuses on device function rather than where air comes from

Surface Forms

snorkel breather singular
snorkel breathers plural

Morphology

snorkel + breather

The noun phrase is directly compositional: combining 'snorkel' (a retractable intake/exhaust mast) with 'breather' (an apparatus for air intake/exhaust) yields a device that provides an air passage for a submarine. The meaning follows normal English noun–noun compounding and is predictable from the constituents, so a B1 learner who knows both words would understand it.

Etymology

Snorkel breather comes from the image of a long snorkel tube plus a breather that lets air move in and out; imagine a submarine lifting a tube to the surface to 'take a breath' while it 'stays underwater'. That's why the name means the pipes that let a submarine keep operating without surfacing.