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snap - What does it mean?

Definition of 'snap'

English

(slim-wikipedia)

Noun

  • A quick breaking or cracking sound or the action of producing such a sound.
  • A sudden break.
  • An attempt to seize, bite, attack, or grab.
  • The act of making a snapping sound by pressing the thumb and a opposing finger of the same hand together and suddenly releasing the grip so that the finger hits against the palm.
  • A fastening device that makes a snapping sound when used.
  • A photograph (an abbreviation of snapshot)
  • The sudden release of something held under pressure or tension.
  • A thin circular cookie or similar good:
  • a ginger snap
  • A brief, sudden period of a certain weather;
  • A very short period of time (figuratively, the time taken to snap one's fingers), or a task that can be accomplished in such a period.
  • It'll be a snap to get that finished.
    I can fix most vacuum cleaners in a snap .
  • A snap bean such as Phaseolus vulgaris .
  • (American football) The passing of a football from the center to a back that begins play, a hike.
  • A rivet: a scrapbooking embellishment.
  • (UK|regional) A small meal, a snack; lunch.
  • * 1913 , , Penguin 2006, page 89:
  • When I went to put my coat on at snap time, what should go runnin' up my arm but a mouse.
  • (uncountable) A card game, primarily for children, in which players cry "snap" to claim pairs of matching cards.
  • (obsolete) A greedy fellow.
  • (rfquotek, L'Estrange)
  • 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.
  • * Ben Jonson
  • He's a nimble fellow, / And alike skilled in every liberal science, / As having certain snaps of all.
  • briskness; vigour; energy; decision
  • (slang|archaic) Any circumstance out of which money may be made or an advantage gained.
  • A snapper, or snap beetle.
  • (Webster 1913)

    Derived terms

    * snappy

    See also

    *

    Verb

  • (transitive) To fracture or break apart suddenly.
  • He snapped his stick in anger.
    If you bend it too much, it will snap .
  • * Burke
  • But this weapon will snap short, unfaithful to the hand that employs it.
  • To give forth or produce a sharp cracking noise; to crack.
  • Blazing firewood snaps .
  • To attempt to seize with the teeth or bite.
  • A dog snaps''' at a passenger. A fish '''snaps at the bait.
  • To attempt to seize with eagerness.
  • She snapped at the chance to appear on television.
  • To speak abruptly or sharply.
  • He snapped at me for the slightest mistake.
  • To give way abruptly and loudly.
  • To suffer a mental breakdown, usually while under tension.
  • She should take a break before she snaps .
  • To flash or appear to flash as with light.
  • To fit or fasten together with a snapping sound.
  • (intransitive|computing|graphical user interface) To jump to a fixed position relative to another element.
  • The floating toolbar will snap to the edge of the screen when dragged towards it.
  • To snatch with or as if with the teeth.
  • * South
  • He, by playing too often at the mouth of death, has been snapped by it at last.
  • To pull apart with a snapping sound; to pop loose.
  • To say abruptly or sharply.
  • (dated) To speak to abruptly or sharply; to treat snappishly; usually with up .
  • (Granville)
  • To cause something to emit a snapping sound.
  • to snap a fastener
    to snap a whip
  • To close something using a snap as a fastener.
  • To snap one's fingers: to make a snapping sound, often by pressing the thumb and an opposing finger of the same hand together and suddenly releasing the grip so that the finger hits against the palm; alternatively, by bringing the index finger quickly down onto the middle finger and thumb.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
  • MacMorian snapped his fingers repeatedly.
  • To cause to move suddenly and smartly.
  • To take a photograph; to release a camera's shutter (which may make a snapping sound).
  • He snapped a picture of me with my mouth open and my eyes closed.
  • (American football) To pass the ball from the center to a back; to hike the ball.
  • He can snap the ball to a back twenty yards behind him.
  • To misfire.
  • The gun snapped .

    Derived terms

    * snap at someone's heels * snap it up * snap one's fingers (rel-mid) * snap someone's head off * snap up * unsnap (rel-bottom)

    Interjection

    (en-interj)!
  • The winning cry at a game of .
  • (British) By extension from the card game, "I've got one the same." or similar
  • Snap! We've both got pink buckets and spades.
  • (British) Ritual utterance of agreement (after the cry in the card game snap).
  • (US) Used in place of expletive to express surprise, usually in response to a negative statement or news; often used facetiously.
  • "I just ran over your phone with my car." "Oh, snap !"
  • (British|Australia|NZ) Ritual utterance used after something is said by two people at exactly the same time.
  • "Wasn't that John?" "Wasn't that John?" "Snap !"

    Synonyms

    * (used after simultaneous utterance) jinx

    Similar to 'snap'

    sunup, skimp, swamp, simp, scamp, sump, snoop, snip, samp, sneap, shmup, swomp