snap | Words related to snap | Online Etymology Dictionary

Words related to snap

early 13c., "trunk or projecting nose of an animal," from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch snute "snout," from Proto-Germanic *snut- (source also of German Schnauze, Norwegian snut, Danish snude "snout"), which Watkins traces to a hypothetical Germanic root *snu- forming words having to do with the nose, imitative of a sudden drawing of breath (compare Old English gesnot "nasal mucus;" German schnauben "pant, puff, snort" (Austrian dialect), schnaufen "breathe heavily, pant," Schnupfen "cold in the head;" Old Norse snaldr "snout" (of a serpent), snuthra "to sniff, snuffle"). Of other animals and (contemptuously) of humans from c. 1300.

schnapps (n.)

1818, a kind of Holland gin or a strong, colorless spirit resembling it, from German Schnaps, literally "a mouthful, gulp," from Low German snaps, from snappen "to snap" (see snap (v.)). For sense, compare nip for "alcoholic drink quickly taken." Used in 19c. for "spiritous liquor of any sort;" the flavored varieties are modern.

snapper (n.)

"one who or that which snaps," 1570s, agent noun from snap (v.). Applied to various fishes since 1690s. Slang meaning "vagina" is by 2000. As a short form of snapping turtle (1784) it is recorded from 1872. Snappers "teeth" is attested from 1924.

snappish (adj.)

"peevish," 1540s, from snap (v.) + -ish. Related: Snappishly; snappishness.

snappy (adj.)

"quick, energetic," 1825, from snap (v.) + -y (2). Meaning "clever, smart" is from 1871; that of "neat and stylishly elegant" is from 1881. Related: Snappily; snappiness. Command make it snappy attested from 1910.

snoop (v.)

1832, "to go around in a prying manner," American English, probably from Dutch snoepen "to pry," also "eat in secret, eat sweets, sneak," probably related to snappen "to bite, snatch" (see snap (v.)). Specific meaning "to pry into other people's business" is attested from 1921. Related: Snooped; snooping.

lickety-split (adj.)

1852, American English; earlier lickety-cut, lickety-click, and simply licketie (1817), probably a fanciful extension of lick (n.1) in its dialectal sense of "very fast sprint in a race" (1809) on the notion of a flick of the tongue as a fast thing (compare blink, snap).

snapdragon (n.)

garden plant, 1570s, from snap (n.) + dragon. So called from fancied resemblance of antirrhinum flowers to a dragon's mouth. As the name of a Christmas game of plucking raisins from burning brandy and eating them alight, from 1704.

snapshot (n.)

also snap-shot, 1808, "a quick shot with a gun, without aim, at a fast-moving target," from snap + shot (n.). Photographic sense is attested from 1890. Figuratively, of something captured at a moment in time, from 1897.

Words related to snap

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