Snake - Snatch

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Snail-like (?), a. Like or suiting a snail; as, snail-like progress.
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Snail-like, adv. In the manner of a snail; slowly.
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Snail-paced (?), a. Slow-moving, like a snail.
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Bid the snail-paced Ajax arm for shame. Shak.
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'Snails (?), interj. God's nails, or His nails, that is, the nails with which the Savior was fastened to the cross; -- an ancient form of oath, corresponding to 'Od's bodikins (dim. of body, i.e., God's dear body). Beau. & Fl.
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Snake (?), n. [AS. snaca; akin to LG. snake, schnake, Icel. snākr, sn�kr, Dan. snog, Sw. snok; of uncertain origin.] (Zoöl.) Any species of the order Ophidia; an ophidian; a serpent, whether harmless or venomous. See , and .
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☞ Snakes are abundant in all warm countries, and much the larger number are harmless to man.
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Coloq. Blind snake , Coloq. Garter snake , Coloq. Green snake , Coloq. King snake , Coloq. Milk snake , Coloq. Rock snake , Coloq. Water snake , etc. See under , , etc. -- Coloq. Fetich snake (Zoöl.), a large African snake (Python Sebæ) used by the natives as a fetich. -- Coloq. Ringed snake (Zoöl.), a common European columbrine snake (Tropidonotus natrix). -- Coloq. Snake eater . (Zoöl.) (a) The markhoor. (b) The secretary bird. -- Coloq. Snake fence , a worm fence (which see). [U.S.] -- Coloq. Snake fly (Zoöl.), any one of several species of neuropterous insects of the genus Rhaphidia; -- so called because of their large head and elongated neck and prothorax. -- Coloq. Snake gourd (Bot.), a cucurbitaceous plant (Trichosanthes anguina) having the fruit shorter and less snakelike than that of the serpent cucumber. -- Coloq. Snake killer . (Zoöl.) (a) The secretary bird. (b) The chaparral cock. -- Coloq. Snake moss (Bot.), the common club moss (Lycopodium clavatum). See . -- Coloq. Snake nut (Bot.), the fruit of a sapindaceous tree (Ophiocaryon paradoxum) of Guiana, the embryo of which resembles a snake coiled up. -- Coloq. Tree snake (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of colubrine snakes which habitually live in trees, especially those of the genus Dendrophis and allied genera.
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Snake, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snaked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Snaking.] 1. To drag or draw, as a snake from a hole; -- often with out. [Colloq. U.S.] Bartlett.
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2. (Naut.) To wind round spirally, as a large rope with a smaller, or with cord, the small rope lying in the spaces between the strands of the large one; to worm.
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Snake, v. i. To crawl like a snake.
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Snakebird (?), n. [So named from its snakelike neck.] (Zoöl.) 1. Any one of four species of aquatic birds of the genus Anhinga or Plotus. They are allied to the gannets and cormorants, but have very long, slender, flexible necks, and sharp bills.
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☞ The American species (Anhinga anhinga syn. Plotus anhinga) inhabits the Southern United States and tropical America; -- called also darter, and water turkey. The Asiatic species (Anhinga melanogaster) is native of Southern Asia and the East Indies. Two other species inhabit Africa and Australia respectively.
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2. (Zoöl.) The wryneck.
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Snakefish (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The band fish. (b) The lizard fish.
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Snakehead (?), n. 1. A loose, bent-up end of one of the strap rails, or flat rails, formerly used on American railroads. It was sometimes so bent by the passage of a train as to slip over a wheel and pierce the bottom of a car.
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2. (Bot.) (a) The turtlehead. (b) The Guinea-hen flower. See , and under .
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Snakeneck (?), n. (Zoöl.) The snakebird, 1.
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Snakeroot (?), n. (Bot.) Any one of several plants of different genera and species, most of which are (or were formerly) reputed to be efficacious as remedies for the bites of serpents; also, the roots of any of these.
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☞ The Virginia snakeroot is Aristolochia Serpentaria; black snakeroot is Sanicula, esp. S. Marilandica, also Cimicifuga racemosa; Seneca snakeroot is Polygala Senega; button snakeroot is Liatris, also Eryngium; white snakeroot is Eupatorium ageratoides. The name is also applied to some others besides these.
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Snake's-head (?), n. (Bot.) The Guinea-hen flower; -- so called in England because its spotted petals resemble the scales of a snake's head. Dr. Prior.
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Coloq. Snake's-head iris (Bot.), an iridaceous plant (Hermodactylus tuberosus) of the Mediterranean region. The flowers slightly resemble a serpent's open mouth.
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Snakestone (?), n. 1. A kind of hone slate or whetstone obtained in Scotland.
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2. (Paleon.) An ammonite; -- so called from its form, which resembles that of a coiled snake.
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Snake's-tongue (?), n. (Bot.) Same as .
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Snakeweed (?), n. (Bot.) (a) A kind of knotweed (Polygonum Bistorta). (b) The Virginia snakeroot. See .
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Snakewood (?), n. (Bot.) (a) An East Indian climbing plant (Strychnos colubrina) having a bitter taste, and supposed to be a remedy for the bite of the hooded serpent. (b) An East Indian climbing shrub (Ophioxylon serpentinum) which has the roots and stems twisted so as to resemble serpents. (c) Same as . (d) A tropical American shrub (Plumieria rubra) which has very fragrant red blossoms. (e) Same as .
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Snakish (?), a. Having the qualities or characteristics of a snake; snaky.
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Snaky (?), a. 1. Of or pertaining to a snake or snakes; resembling a snake; serpentine; winding.
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The red light playing upon its gilt and carving gave it an appearance of snaky life. L. Wallace.
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2. Sly; cunning; insinuating; deceitful.
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So to the coast of Jordan he directs
His easy steps, girded with snaky wiles. Milton.
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3. Covered with serpents; having serpents; as, a snaky rod or wand. Dryden.
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That snaky-headed, Gorgon shield. Milton.
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Snap (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snapped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Snapping.] [LG. or D. snappen to snap up, to snatch; akin to G. schnappen, MHG. snaben, Dan. snappe, and to D. snavel beak, bill. Cf. , , n.] 1. To break at once; to break short, as substances that are brittle.
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Breaks the doors open, snaps the locks. Prior.
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2. To strike, to hit, or to shut, with a sharp sound.
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3. To bite or seize suddenly, especially with the teeth.
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He, by playing too often at the mouth of death, has been snapped by it at last. South.
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4. To break upon suddenly with sharp, angry words; to treat snappishly; -- usually with up. Granville.
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5. To crack; to cause to make a sharp, cracking noise; as, to snap a whip.
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MacMorian snapped his fingers repeatedly. Sir W. Scott.
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6. To project with a snap.
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7. (Cricket) To catch out sharply (a batsman who has just snicked a bowled ball).
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Coloq. To snap back (Football), to roll the ball back with the foot; -- done only by the center rush, who thus delivers the ball to the quarter back on his own side when both sides are ranged in line. -- Coloq. To snap off . (a) To break suddenly. (b) To bite off suddenly.
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Snap, v. i. 1. To break short, or at once; to part asunder suddenly; as, a mast snaps; a needle snaps.
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But this weapon will snap short, unfaithful to the hand that employs it. Burke.
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2. To give forth, or produce, a sharp, cracking noise; to crack; as, blazing firewood snaps.
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3. To make an effort to bite; to aim to seize with the teeth; to catch eagerly (at anything); -- often with at; as, a dog snapsat a passenger; a fish snaps at the bait.
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4. To utter sharp, harsh, angry words; -- often with at; as, to snap at a child.
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5. To miss fire; as, the gun snapped.
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6. Of the eyes, to emit sudden, brief sparkles like those of a snapping fire, as sometimes in anger.
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Snap, n. [Cf. D. snap a snatching. See , v. t.] 1. A sudden breaking or rupture of any substance.
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2. A sudden, eager bite; a sudden seizing, or effort to seize, as with the teeth.
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3. A sudden, sharp motion or blow, as with the finger sprung from the thumb, or the thumb from the finger.
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4. A sharp, abrupt sound, as that made by the crack of a whip; as, the snap of the trigger of a gun.
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5. A greedy fellow. L'Estrange.
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6. That which is, or may be, snapped up; something bitten off, seized, or obtained by a single quick movement; hence, a bite, morsel, or fragment; a scrap.
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He's a nimble fellow,
And alike skilled in every liberal science,
As having certain snaps of all. B. Jonson.
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7. A sudden severe interval or spell; -- applied to the weather; as, a cold snap. Lowell.
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8. A small catch or fastening held or closed by means of a spring, or one which closes with a snapping sound, as the catch of a bracelet, necklace, clasp of a book, etc.
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9. (Zoöl.) A snap beetle.
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10. A thin, crisp cake, usually small, and flavored with ginger; -- used chiefly in the plural.
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11. Briskness; vigor; energy; decision. [Colloq.]
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12. Any circumstance out of which money may be made or an advantage gained. [Slang]
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13. Any task, labor, set of circumstances, or the like, that yields satisfactory results or gives pleasure with little trouble or effort, as an easy course of study, a job where work is light, a bargain, etc. [Slang, Chiefly U. S.]
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14. A snap shot with a firearm.
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15. (Photog.) A snapshot.
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16. Something of no value; as, not worth a snap. [Colloq.]
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17. (Football) The action of snapping the ball back, from the center usu. to the quarterback, which commences the play (down), and, if the clock had stopped, restarts the timer clock; a snap back.
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Coloq. Snap back (Football), the act of snapping back the ball. -- Coloq. Snap beetle , or Coloq. Snap bug (Zoöl.), any beetle of the family Elateridæ, which, when laid on its back, is able to leap to a considerable height by means of a thoracic spring; -- called also snapping beetle. -- Coloq. Snap flask (Molding), a flask for small work, having its sides separable and held together by latches, so that the flask may be removed from around the sand mold. -- Coloq. Snap judgment , a judgment formed on the instant without deliberation. -- Coloq. Snap lock , a lock shutting with a catch or snap. -- Coloq. Snap riveting , riveting in which the rivets have snapheads formed by a die or swaging tool. -- Coloq. Snap shot , a quick offhand shot, without deliberately taking aim.
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Snap, a. Done, performed, made, executed, carried through, or the like, quickly and without deliberation; as, a snap judgment or decision; a snap political convention. [Colloq.]
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Snapdragon (?), n. 1. (Bot.) (a) Any plant of the scrrophulariaceous genus Antirrhinum, especially the cultivated A. majus, whose showy flowers are fancifully likened to the face of a dragon. (b) A West Indian herb (Ruellia tuberosa) with curiously shaped blue flowers.
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2. A play in which raisins are snatched from a vessel containing burning brandy, and eaten; also, that which is so eaten. See . Swift.
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Snape (?), v. t. (Shipbuilding) To bevel the end of a timber to fit against an inclined surface.
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Snaphance (?), n. [D. snaphaan a gun, originally, the snapping cock of a gun. See , and .] 1. A spring lock for discharging a firearm; also, the firearm to which it is attached. [Obs.]
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2. A trifling or second-rate thing or person. [Obs.]
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Snaphead (?), n. A hemispherical or rounded head to a rivet or bolt; also, a swaging tool with a cavity in its face for forming such a rounded head.
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Snapper (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, snaps; as, a snapper up of trifles; the snapper of a whip.
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2. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of large sparoid food fishes of the genus Lutjanus, abundant on the southern coasts of the United States and on both coasts of tropical America.
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☞ The red snapper (Lutjanus aya syn. Lutjanus Blackfordi) and the gray, or mangrove, snapper (Lutjanus griseus) are large and abundant species. The name is loosely applied to various other fishes, as the bluefish, the rosefish, the red grouper, etc. See .
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3. (Zoöl.) A snapping turtle; as, the alligator snapper.
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4. (Zoöl.) The green woodpecker, or yaffle.
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5. (Zoöl.) A snap beetle.
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6. (Teleg.) A device with a flexible metal tongue for producing clicks like those of the sounder.
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7. A string bean. [Colloq., U. S.]
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Snapping (?), a. & n. from , v.
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Coloq. Snapping beetle . (Zoöl.) See Snap beetle, under . -- Coloq. Snapping turtle . (Zoöl.) (a) A large and voracious aquatic turtle (Chelydra serpentina) common in the fresh waters of the United States; -- so called from its habit of seizing its prey by a snap of its jaws. Called also mud turtle. (b) See Alligator snapper, under .
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Snappish (?), a. 1. Apt to snap at persons or things; eager to bite; as, a snapping cur.
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2. Sharp in reply; apt to speak angrily or testily; easily provoked; tart; peevish.
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The taunting address of a snappish misanthrope. Jeffrey.
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-- Snappishly, adv. -- Snappishness, n.
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Snappy (?), a. Snappish. [Colloq.]
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Snapsack (?), n. [Cf. Sw. snappsäck, G. schnappsack.] A knapsack. [Obs.] South.
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Snapshot (?), n. 1. Commonly Snap shot. (a) A quick offhand shot, made without deliberately taking aim over the sights. (b) (Photog.) Act of taking a snapshot (in sense 2).
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2. An instantaneous photograph made, usually with a hand camera, without formal posing of, and often without the foreknowledge of, the subject.
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3. a brief summary or appraisal, especially one that describes the state of a situation at one particular time; as, a snapshot of the moon project in 1966.
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Snapweed (?), n. (Bot.) See .
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Snar (?), v. i. [Akin to LG. & OD. snarren, G. schnarren, E. snore. See , and cf. to growl.] To snarl. [Obs.] Spenser.
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Snare (?), n. [AS. sneara cord, a string; akin to D. snoer, G. schnur, OHG. snour a cord, snarahha a noose, Dan. snare, Sw. & Icel. snara, Goth. sn�rj� a basket; and probably also to E. needle. See , and cf. to entangle.] 1. A contrivance, often consisting of a noose of cord, or the like, by which a bird or other animal may be entangled and caught; a trap; a gin.
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2. Hence, anything by which one is entangled and brought into trouble.
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If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed,
Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee. Shak.
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3. The gut or string stretched across the lower head of a drum.
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4. (Med.) An instrument, consisting usually of a wireloop or noose, for removing tumors, etc., by avulsion.
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Coloq. Snare drum , the smaller common military drum, as distinguished from the bass drum; -- so called because (in order to render it more resonant) it has stretched across its lower head a catgut string or strings.
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Snare, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snared (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Snaring.] To catch with a snare; to insnare; to entangle; hence, to bring into unexpected evil, perplexity, or danger.
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Lest that too heavenly form . . . snare them. Milton.
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The mournful crocodile
With sorrow snares relenting passengers. Shak.
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Snarer (?), n. One who lays snares, or entraps.
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Snarl (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snarled (?); p. pr. & vvb. n. Snarling.] [Etymol. uncertain.] To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface.
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Snarl, v. t. [From , v. t.] 1. To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots; as, to snarl a skein of thread. “Her snarled hair.” Spenser.
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2. To embarrass; to insnare.
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[The] question that they would have snarled him with. Latimer.
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Snarl, n. A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle; entanglement; hence, intricate complication; embarrassing difficulty.
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Snarl, v. i. [From .] 1. To growl, as an angry or surly dog; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds. “An angry cur snarls while he feeds.” Dryden & Lee.
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2. To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms.
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It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little lapses of a pen, from which Virgil himself stands not exempted. Dryden.
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Snarl, n. The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.
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Snarler (?), n. One who snarls; a surly, growling animal; a grumbling, quarrelsome fellow.
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Snarler, n. One who makes use of a snarling iron.
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Snarling, a. & n. from , v.
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Coloq. Snarling iron , a tool with a long beak, used in the process of snarling. When one end is held in a vise, and the shank is struck with a hammer, the repercussion of the other end, or beak, within the article worked upon gives the requisite blow for producing raised work. See 1st .
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Snary (?), a. [From .] Resembling, or consisting of, snares; entangling; insidious.
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Spiders in the vault their snary webs have spread. Dryden.
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Snast (?), n. [Cf. , v. t.] The snuff, or burnt wick, of a candle. [Obs.] Bacon.
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Snatch (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snatched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Snatching.] [OE. snachen, snechen; akin to D. snakken to gasp, to long (for), to desire. Cf. , n., .] 1. To take or seize hastily, abruptly, or without permission or ceremony; as, to snatch a loaf or a kiss.
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When half our knowledge we must snatch, not take. Pope.
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2. To seize and transport away; to rap. “Snatch me to heaven.” Thomson.
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Syn. -- To twitch; pluck; grab; catch; grasp; gripe.
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Snatch, v. i. To attempt to seize something suddenly; to catch; -- often with at; as, to snatch at a rope.
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