snip

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a small piece that is snipped off
also : fragment, bit
b
: a cut or notch made by snipping
c
: an act or sound of snipping
2
: a white or light mark
especially : a white spot between the nostrils of a horse
3
: a presumptuous or impertinent person
especially : an impertinent or saucy girl
4
British : bargain, buy

snip

2 of 2

verb

snipped; snipping

transitive verb

: to cut or cut off with or as if with shears or scissors
snipped the stray threads
specifically : to clip suddenly or by bits

intransitive verb

: to make a short quick cut with or as if with shears or scissors
snipper noun

Examples of snip in a Sentence

Noun cleared out the snips of paper that had been clogging the machine that antique urn that we bought at London's Portobello Road Market was a real snip Verb He snipped some fresh herbs from plants on the windowsill. snipping pictures out of magazines She snipped at the hanging strings.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
After removing the plant from its nursery container, snip or prune girdling roots and rough up the surface of the root ball with your fingers. Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Oct. 2024 Just a few units of filler here, a snip and tuck there. Viv Chen, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2024
Verb
At their peak they are carefully plucked, pulled and snipped then carried into the kitchen. Roger Sands, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024 As cheese matures, enzymes and microorganisms inside of it can snip the casein molecules themselves. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for snip 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from or akin to Dutch & Low German snip; akin to Middle High German snipfen to snap the fingers

First Known Use

Noun

1558, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1586, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of snip was in 1558

Dictionary Entries Near snip

Cite this Entry

“Snip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snip. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

snip

1 of 2 noun
1
: a small piece that is snipped off : fragment
2
: an act or sound of snipping
3
: a rude person

snip

2 of 2 verb
snipped; snipping
: to cut or cut off with or as if with shears or scissors
especially : to clip suddenly or by bits

More from Merriam-Webster on snip

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!