Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913 + 1828)

Page 1362

Snatch

Snatch (?), n.

1. A hasty catching or seizing; a grab; a catching at, or attempt to seize, suddenly.

2. A short period of vigorous action; as, a snatch at weeding after a shower. Tusser.

They move by fits and snatches. Bp. Wilkins.

3. A small piece, fragment, or quantity; a broken part; a scrap.

We have often little snatches of sunshine. Spectator.

Leave me your snatches, and yield me a direct answer. Shak.

Snatch block

Snatch block (Naut.), a kind of block with an opening in one side to receive the bight of a rope.

Snatcher

Snatch"er (?), n. One who snatches, or takes abruptly.

Snatchingly

Snatch"ing*ly, adv. By snatching; abruptly.

Snatch

Snatch (?), n. [Cf. AS. snīan to cut, to mow, snd a bite, bit snip.] The handle of a scythe; a snead. [Variously written in England snead, sneed, sneath, sneeth, snathe, etc.; in Scotland written sned.]

Snathe

Snathe (?), v. t. [Cf. Icel. sneia to cut into alices, snīa to cut; akin to AS. besndan, snīan, G. schneiden, OHG. snīdan, Goth. sneian to cut, to reap, and E. snath, snithe.] To lop; to prune. [Prov. Eng.]

Snattock

Snat"tock (?), n. [See Snathe.] A chip; a alice. [Prov. Eng.] Gayton.

Snaw

Snaw (?), n. Snow. [Obs. or Scot.] Burns.

Snead

Snead (?), n. [See Snatch.]

1. A snath.

2. A line or cord; a string. [Prov. Eng.]

Sneak

Sneak (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sneaked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sneaking.] [OE. sniken, AS. snīcan to creep; akin to Dan. snige sig; cf. Icel. snīkja to hanker after.]

1. To creep or steal (away or about) privately; to come or go meanly, as a person afraid or ashamed to be seen; as, to sneak away from company. <-- ? imp. & p. p. "snuck" is more common now, but not even mentioned here. In MW10, simply "sneaked or snuck" -->

You skulked behind the fence, and sneaked away. Dryden.

2. To act in a stealthy and cowardly manner; to behave with meanness and servility; to crouch.

Sneak

Sneak, v. t. To hide, esp. in a mean or cowardly manner. [Obs.] [Slander] sneaks its head." Wake.

Sneak

Sneak, n.

1. A mean, sneaking fellow.

A set of simpletons and superstitious sneaks. Glanvill.

2. (Cricket) A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; -- called also grub. [Cant] R. A. Proctor.

Sneak-cup

Sneak"-cup` (?), n. One who sneaks from his cups; one who balks his glass. [Obs.] Shak.

Sneaker

Sneak"er (?), n.

1. One who sneaks. Lamb.

2. A vessel of drink. [Prov. Eng.]

A sneaker of five gallons. Spectator.

<-- A type of soft shoe with a flat, pliable, typically rubber sole, and canvas-like upper, used in sports or for comfort. -->

Sneakiness

Sneak"i*ness (?), n. The quality of being sneaky.

Sneaking

Sneak"ing, a. Marked by cowardly concealment; deficient in openness and courage; underhand; mean; crouching. -- Sneak"ing*ly, adv. -- Sneak"ing*ness, n.

Sneaksby

Sneaks"by (?), n. A paltry fellow; a sneak. [Obs.] Such a bashful sneaksby." Barrow.

Sneaky

Sneak"y (?), n. Like a sneak; sneaking.

Sneap

Sneap (?), v. t. [Cf. Icel. sneypa to dishonor, disgrace, chide, but also E. snip, and snub.]

1. To check; to reprimand; to rebuke; to chide. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

2. To nip; to blast; to blight. [Obs.]

Biron is like an envious, sneaping frost. Shak.

Sneap

Sneap, n. A reprimand; a rebuke. [Obs.]

My lord, I will not undergo this sneap without reply. Shak.

Sneath, Sneathe

Sneath (?), Sneathe (?), n. See Snath.
Sneb
Sneb (?), v. t. [See Snib.] To reprimand; to sneap. [Obs.] Scold and sneb the good oak." Spenser.
Sneck
Sneck (?), v. t. [See Snatch.] To fasten by a hatch; to latch, as a door. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] Sneck up, be silent; shut up; hold your peace. <-- Obs or archaic? --> Shak.
Sneck
Sneck, n. A door latch. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] Sneck band, a latchstring. Burns. -- Sneck drawer, a latch lifter; a bolt drawer; hence, a sly person; a cozener; a cheat; -- called also sneckdraw. -- Sneck drawing, lifting the latch.
Snecket
Sneck"et (?), n. A door latch, or sneck. [Prov. Eng.]
Sned
Sned (?), v. t. To lop; to snathe. [Prov. Eng.]
Sned, Sneed
Sned (?), Sneed (?), n. See Snath.
Sneer
Sneer (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sneered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sneering.] [OE. sneren, Dan. snrre to snarl or grin (like a dog); cf. Prov. E. sneer to grin, sner to snort, snert to sneer at. See Snore, v. i.]
1. To show contempt by turning up the nose, or by a particular facial expression.
2. To inssinuate contempt by a covert expression; to speak derisively.
I could be content to be a little sneared at. Pope.

3. To show mirth awkwardly. [R.] Tatler. Syn. -- To scoff; gibe; jeer. -- Sneer, Scoff, Jeer. The verb to sneer implies to cast contempt indirectly or by covert expressions. To jeer is stronger, and denotes the use of several sarcastic reflections. To scoff is stronger still, implying the use of insolent mockery and derision.
And sneers as learnedly as they, Like females o'er their morning tea. Swift.

Midas, exposed to all their jeers, Had lost his art, and kept his ears. Swift.

The fop, with learning at defiance, Scoffs at the pedant and science. Gay.

Sneer
Sneer, v. t.
1. To utter with a grimace or contemptuous expression; to utter with a sneer; to say sneeringly; as, to sneer fulsome lies at a person. Congreve.
A ship of fools," he sneered. Tennyson.

2. To treat with sneers; to affect or move by sneers.
Nor sneered nor bribed from virtue into shame. Savage.

Sneer
Sneer, n.
1. The act of sneering.
2. A smile, grin, or contortion of the face, indicative of contempt; an indirect expression or insinuation of contempt. "Who can refute a sneer?" Raley.
Sneerer
Sneer"er (?), n. One who sneers.
Sneerful
Sneer"ful (?), a. Given to sneering. [Obs.]
Sneeringly
Sneer"ing*ly, adv. In a sneering manner.
Sneeze
Sneeze (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sneezed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sneezing.] [OE. snesen; of uncertain origin; cf. D. snuse to sniff, E. neese, and AS. fneósan.] To emit air, chiefly through the nose, audibly and violently, by a kind of involuntary convulsive force, occasioned by irritation of the inner membrane of the nose. Not to be sneezed at, not to be despised or contemned; not to be treated lightly. [Colloq.] He had to do with old women who were not to be sneezed at." Prof. Wilson.
Sneeze
Sneeze, n. A sudden and violent ejection of air with an audible sound, chiefly through the nose.
Sneezeweed
Sneeze"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) A yellow-flowered composite plant (Helenium autumnale) the odor of which is said to cause sneezing.
Sneezewood
Sneeze"wood` (?), n. (Bot.) The wood of a South African tree. See Neishout.
Sneezewort
Sneeze"wort` (?), n. (Bot.) A European herbaceous plant (Achillea Ptarmica) allied to the yarrow, having a strong, pungent smell.
Sneezing
Sneez"ing, n. (Physiol.) The act of violently forcing air out through the nasal passages while the cavity of the mouth is shut off from the pharynx by the approximation of the soft palate and the base of the tongue.
Snell
Snell (?), a. [AS. snell; akin to D. snel, G. schnell, OHG. snel, Icel. snjallr valiant.] Active; brisk; nimble; quick; sharp. [Archaic or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
That horny-handed, snell, peremptory little man. Dr. J. Brown.

Snell
Snell, n. A short line of horsehair, gut, etc., by which a fishhook is attached to a longer line.
Snet
Snet (?), n. [Cf. G. schnitt that which is cut, fr. schneiden to cut, E. snath.] The fat of a deer. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Snet
Snet, v. t. [See Snot.] The clear of mucus; to blow. [Obs.] Snetting his nose." Holland.
Snew
Snew (?), v. i. To snow; to abound. [Obs.]
It snewed in his house of meat and drink. Chaucer.

Snib
Snib (?), v. t. [OE. snibben; cf. Dan. snibbe, and E. snub, v. t.] To check; to sneap; to sneb. [Obs.]
Him would he snib sharply for the nones. Chaucer.

Snib
Snib, n. A reprimand; a snub. [Obs.] Marston.
Snick
Snick (?), n. [Prov. E. snick a notch; cf. Icel. snikka nick, cut.]
1. A small cut or mark.
2. (Cricket) A slight hit or tip of the ball, often unintentional.
3. (Fiber) A knot or irregularity in yarn. Knight.
4. (Furriery) A snip or cut, as in the hair of a beast. Snick and snee [cf. D. snee, snede, a cut], a combat with knives. [Obs.] Wiseman.
Snick
Snick, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snicked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Snicking.]
1. To cut slightly; to strike, or strike off, as by cutting. H. Kingsley.
2. (Cricket) To hit (a ball) lightly. R. A. Proctor.
Snick
Snick, n. & v. t. See Sneck. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Snick up, shut up; silenced. See Sneck up, under Sneck.
Give him money, George, and let him go snick up. Beau & Fl.

Snicker
Snick"er (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Snickered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Snickering.] [Cf. D. snikken to sob, to sigh.] [Written also snigger.]
1. To laugh slyly; to laugh in one's sleeve.
2. To laugh with audible catches of voice, as when persons attempt to suppress loud laughter.
Snicker
Snick"er, n. A half suppressed, broken laugh. [Written also snigger.]
Snide
Snide (?), a. Tricky; deceptive; contemptible; as, a snide lawyer; snide goods. [Slang]
Sniff
Sniff (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sniffed (?) or Snift; p. pr. & vb. n. Sniffing.] [OE. sneven; akin to snivel, snuff; cf. Dan. snive to sniff. See Snuff, v. t.] To draw air audibly up the nose; to snuff; -- sometimes done as a gesture of suspicion, offense, or contempt.
So ye grow squeamish, gods, and sniff at heaven. M. Arnold.

Sniff
Sniff, v. t.
1. To draw in with the breath through the nose; as, to sniff the air of the country.
2. To perceive as by sniffing; to snuff, to scent; to smell; as, to sniff danger.
Sniff
Sniff, n. The act of sniffing; perception by sniffing; that which is taken by sniffing; as, a sniff of air.
Sniffing
Sniff"ing, n. (Physiol.) A rapid inspiratory act, in which the mouth is kept shut and the air drawn in through the nose.
Sniffle
Snif"fle (?), v. i. [Freq. of sniff. See Snivel.] To snuffle, as one does with a catarrh. [Prov. Eng.]
Snift
Snift (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Snifted; p. pr. & vb. n. Snifting.] [From Sniff.]
1. To snort. [Obs.] Resentment expressed by snifting." Johnson.
2. To sniff; to snuff; to smell.
It now appears that they were still snifing and hankering after their old quarters. Landor.

Snift
Snift, n.
1. A moment. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
2. Slight snow; sleet. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
Snifting
Snift"ing, a. & n. from Snift. Snifting valve, a small valve opening into the atmosphere from the cylinder or condenser of a steam engine, to allow the escape of air when the piston makes a stroke; -- so called from the noise made by its action.
Snig
Snig (?), v. t. [See Snick a small cut.] To chop off; to cut. [Prov. Eng.]
Snig
Snig, v. i. [See Sneak.] To sneak. [Prov. Eng.]
Snig, Snigg
Snig, Snigg, n. [Cf. Sneak.] (Zoöl.) A small eel. [Prov. Eng.]
Sniggger
Snigg"ger (?), v. i. See Snicker. Thackeray.
Snigger
Snig"ger, n. See Snicker. Dickens.
Sniggle
Snig"gle (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sniggled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sniggling(?).] [See Snig a kind of eel.] To fish for eels by thrusting the baited hook into their holes or hiding places. Walton.
Sniggle
Snig"gle, v. t. To catch, as an eel, by sniggling; hence, to hook; to insnare. Beau & Fl.
Snip
Snip (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snipped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Snipping.] [D. snippen; akin to G. schnippen.] To cut off the nip or neb of, or to cut off at once with shears or scissors; to clip off suddenly; to nip; hence, to break off; to snatch away.
Curbed and snipped in my younger years by fear of my parents from those vicious excrescences to which that age was subject. Fuller.

The captain seldom ordered anything out of the ship's stores . . . but I snipped some of it for my own share. De Foe.

Snip
Snip (?), n.
1. A single cut, as with shears or scissors; a clip. Shak.
2. A small shred; a bit cut off. Wiseman.
3. A share; a snack. [Obs.] L'Estrange
4. A tailor. [Slang] Nares. C. Kingsley.
5. Small hand shears for cutting sheet metal.
Snipe
Snipe (?), n. [OE. snipe; akin to D. snep, snip, LG. sneppe, snippe, G. schnepfe, Icel. snīpa (in comp.), Dan. sneppe, Sw. snäppa a sanpiper, and possibly to E. snap. See Snap, Snaffle.]
1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline game birds of the family Scolopacidæ, having a long, slender, nearly straight beak. &hand; The common, or whole, snipe (Gallinago c&oe;lestis) and the great, or double, snipe (G. major), are the most important European species. The Wilson's snipe (G. delicata) (sometimes erroneously called English snipe) and the gray snipe, or dowitcher (Macrohamphus griseus), are well-known American species.
2. A fool; a blockhead. [R.] Shak. Half snipe, the dunlin; the jacksnipe. -- Jack snipe. See Jacksnipe. -- Quail snipe. See under Quail. -- Robin snipe, the knot. -- Sea snipe. See in the Vocabulary. -- Shore snipe, any sandpiper. -- Snipe hawk, the marsh harrier. [Prov. Eng.] -- Stone snipe, the tattler. -- Summer snipe, the dunlin; the green and the common European sandpipers. -- Winter snipe. See Rock snipe, under Rock. -- Woodcock snipe, the great snipe.
Snipebill
Snipe"bill` (?), n.
1. A plane for cutting deep grooves in moldings.
2. A bolt by which the body of a cart is fastened to the axle. [Local, U.S.]
Snipefish
Snipe"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The bellows fish. (b) A long, slender deep-sea fish (Nemichthys scolopaceus) with a slender beak.
Snippack
Snip"pack (?), n. [Cf. Snipe.] (Zoöl.) The common snipe. [Prov. Eng.]
Snipper
Snip"per (?), n. One who snips.
Snipper-snaper
Snip"per-snap`er (?), n. A small, insignificant fellow. [Colloq.]
Snippet
Snip"pet (?), n. A small part or piece.
To be cut into snippets and shreds. F. Harrison.

Snippety
Snip"pet*y (?), a. Ridiculously small; petty. Snippety facts." London Spectator. <-- 2. short-tempered; snappish. --> <-- Snippy, adj. snippety. -->
Snip-snap
Snip"-snap` (?), n. [Reduplication of snap.] A tart dialogue with quick replies. [R.] Pope.
Snip-snap
Snip"-snap`, a. Quick; short; sharp; smart. Shak.
Snypy
Snyp"y (?), a. Like a snipe.
Snite
Snite (?), n. A snipe. [Obs. or Scot.] Carew.
Snite
Snite, v. t. [Icel. snīfa. See Snout.] To blow, as the nose; to snuff, as a candle. [Obs. or Scot.]
Snithe, Snithy
Snithe (?), Snith"y (?), a. [AS. snīan to cut. See Snathe.] Sharp; piercing; cutting; -- applied to the wind. [Prov. Eng.]
Snivel
Sniv"el (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sniveled (?) or Snivelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Sniveling or Snivelling.] [OE. snivelen, snevelen, snuvelen, freg. of sneven. See Sniff, and cf. Snuffle.]
1. To run at the nose; to make a snuffling noise.
2. To cry or whine with snuffling, as children; to cry weakly or whiningly.
Put stop to thy sniveling ditty. Sir W. Scott.

Snivel
Sniv"el, n. [AS. snofel. Cf. Snivel, v. i.] Mucus from the nose; snot.
Sniveler
Sniv"el*er (?), n. [Written also sniveller.] One who snivels, esp. one who snivels habitually.
Snively
Sniv"el*y (?), a. Running at the nose; sniveling pitiful; whining.
Snob
Snob (?), n. [Icel. snāpr a dolt, impostor, charlatan. Cf. Snub.]
1. A vulgar person who affects to be better, richer, or more fashionable, than he really is; a vulgar upstart; one who apes his superiors. Thackeray.
Essentially vulgar, a snob. -- a gilded snob, but none the less a snob. R. G. White.

2. (Eng. Univ.) A townsman. [Canf]
3. A journeyman shoemaker. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
4. A workman who accepts lower than the usual wages, or who refuses to strike when his fellows do; a rat; a knobstick.
Those who work for lower wages during a strike are called snobs, the men who stand out being nobs" De Quincey.
<-- 5. One who adopts an offensive air of superiority to those he considers as inferiors, esp. by avoiding or ignoring them. -->
Snobbery
Snob"ber*y (?), n. The quality of being snobbish; snobbishness.
Snobbish
Snob"bish (?), a. Of or pertaining to a snob; characteristic of, or befitting, a snob; vulgarly pretentious. -- Snob"bish*ly, adv.
Snobbishness
Snob"bish*ness, n. Vulgar affectation or ostentation; mean admiration of mean things; conduct or manners of a snob.
Snobbism
Snob"bism (?), n. Snobbery.