snare 
5728 
.ii, a tendon, sinew, etc., is uncertain, snarl- (sniirl), . [< xitnrl-. <:\ 1. -\ snare: 
Heiice nit. .oiitrP.'] 1. A string; a con! ; specifi- any knot or complication ot hair, thread, etc., 
cally, in a side-drum, one of the strings of gut which it is difficult to disentangle ; also, a group 
or rawhide that are stretched across the lower of things resembling, in entanglement, such a 
head so as to produce a rattling reverberation knot : as, a snarl of yachts. Hence 2. Fig- 
on it. 2. A noose; a springe; a contrivance, uratively, complication; intricacy; embarrass- 
- -' ing condition: as, to get the negotiation into a 
consisting of a noose or set of nooses of cord, 
hair, wire, or the like, by which a bird or other 
animal may be entangled; a net; a gin. 
The hare is not hunted in this country as in Europe, 
but is generally roused by a dog and shot, or is caught in 
various traps and mare*. 
A. A. Gould, Naturalist's Library, p. 259. 
3. Figuratively, anything by which one is en- 
tangled, entrapped, or inveigled. 
A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the 
tium of his soul. Prov. xviii. 7. 
Comest Hum smiling from 
The world's great xnnre uncaught ? 
Shak., A. and C., iv. 8. 16. 
snarl. 
Let Hymen's easy snarls he c|Uite forgot ; 
Time cannot quench our fires, nor death dissolve our knot. 
Quartet, Emblems, iv. 12. 
3. A vexations controversy ; a squabble. This 
sense may have been affected by snm-n. [Col- 
loq.] 
We find " boycott " used several times as a substantive, 
and are told that the " New York longshoremen and the 
Old Dominion Steamship Company had got into a snarl." 
X. mid </., 7th sen, VII. SSO. 
4. A knot in wood ; a gnai'l. 
Let Italian or Spanish yew lie the wood, clear of knots, 
snarl*, and cracks. Tribune Bottk of Sports, p. 12. 
4. In xiiri/., a light 4craseur, consisting usually 
of a wire loop or noose, for removing tumors snarler 1 (snar'ler). . [< snurfl + -er 1 .] One 
and the like. who snarls; a surly, growling animal; agrum- 
snare (snar), v. ; pret. and pp. snared, ppr. snar- bling, quarrelsome fellow. 
ing. [< ME. snaren ; < snare, n. Cf . Icel. snara Next to the peevish fellow is the snarler. 
= Sw. snaria = Dan. snsere, turn quickly, twist, Steele, Spectator, No. 438. 
wring.] I. trans. 1. To catch with a snare or snarler 2 (snar'ler), . 
noose ; net. who snarls metal. 
Partridges, because they flew well and strongly, were snarling (suiir'ling), p. a. Growling; grum- 
then not shot, but snared, by means of a trained dog. bling angrily ; peevish; waspish; snappish. 
Ashton, Social Life in Beign of Queen Anne, I. 313. snarling _ iron (smir'ling-i'era), H. A tool for 
2. Figuratively, to catch or take by guile; bring fluting or embossing vessels of sheet-metal, 
by cunning into unexpected evil, perplexity, or consisting of a long arm which is turned at an 
danger; entangle; entrap. 
Become more humble, & cast downe thy looke, 
Least prides bait snare thee on the devils hooke. 
Times' WhMe (E. E. T. S.), p. 38. 
The woman . . . entertained discourse, and was pres- 
ently snared. Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. 25. 
'o use snares; catch birds or 
snatchingly 
rities :uul empires creep along, enlarging in silent nh 
scurity, until they liurst forth in sujnr tremendous ca- 
lamity and matf.lt. as it were, immortality from the ex- 
plosion ! Irrimj, Knickerbocker, p. 424. 
3. To seize or transport away quickly or for- 
cibly. 
Oh Nature ! . . . 
Enrich me with the knowledge of thy works ! 
Snatch me to Heaven. Thomson, Autumn, 1. 1354. 
4. .\tiut., to place the bight of (a rope) in a 
snatch-block so that it may lead properly. 
II. intrtntg. 1. To seize, or attempt to' seize, 
a thing suddenly : generally witli nt. 
Snatch not at every favour. 
Sir T. ISn.mi,; Christ. Mor., iii. 5. 
No eager man among his joyous peers 
To match nt pleasure. 
William Mum'*, Earthly Paradise, III. 111. 
2. See the quotation. 
Snatchimj is a form of illicit piscicapture. ... A 
large triangle is attached to a line of tine gut, well 
pointed or terminated in any shape desired. 
It is inserted into the vessel, and the long arm or bar Is 
struck outside of the vessel with a hammer, causing the 
point or head to raise the metal from within, as in re- 
POUS.SI'' work. It is used especially for striking up pat- 
terns on silverware. 
weighted with swan-shot or a small plummet. . . . The 
line is then dropped into some quiet place where fish are 
plentiful, . . . and, as soon as the p'nmmrt has touched 
the bottom, is twitched violently up. It is almost a cer- 
tainty that on some one or other of the hooks, and possi- 
bly on more than one, will be a nsh foul-hooked. 
The Standard (London), Oct. 21, 1878. (Davies.) 
[< xnarl- +-er*.] One snatch (snaeh), . [< siiatHi, r. Cf. snack, .] 
1. A hasty catch or seizing. 
How can he live by snatches from such people? 
He bore a worthy mint). 
Fletcher, Wit without Money, i. 1. 
His scarsella was snatched at, but all the while he was 
being hustled and dragged, and the snatch failed. 
George Eliot, Romola, Ixvi. 
2. An attempt to seize suddenly; a sharp at- 
tack. 
But he, triumphant spirit ! all things dared, 
He poached the wood and on the warren snared. 
irritable animals that the cow is tranquil and gentle, 
and the hyena snarly and fretful. 
H. B. Stowe, Oldtown, p. 262. 
snarret, <. /'. Same as snar. 
snary (snar'i), n. [< snare + -y 1 .] Of the na- 
ture of a snare ; entangling; insidious. [Rare.] 
Spiders in the vault their snary webs have spread. 
Dryden. 
snarling-tool (suar'ling-tol), M. Same as xnart- 
Crabbe, Parish Register, i. in (/-iron. 
snare-drum (snar'drum), M. Same as side-drum, snarly (sna^li) , . [< saarli + -i.] Disposed 
snare-head (snar'hed), . The lower head of to snarl ; irritable ; cross. [Colloq.] 
a snare-drum: opposed to batter-head. . We ?11 know that there are good-natured animals and 
snarer (snai'er), n. [< snare + -cr 1 .] One who 
lays snares or entangles; one who catches ani- 
mals with snares. 
Snarers and smugglers here their gains divide. 
Crabbe, Parish Register, i. 
snarl 1 (snarl), r. [Freq. of sum; like gutirl 1 , 
freq. of gnar 2 , gnarft, freq. of snare, etc.] I. iu- 
trans. 1. To growl sharply, as an angry or siirlv . ,.!, "' "" " ""= " 
dog; gnarl snash (snash), r. i. [Cf. Dan. masks, gnash or a t weeding after a shower. 
That I should snarl and bite and play the dog. C ^ m P "^ " 1 Sk W f"? 6 ^? "^ = 8W ' High-stepping horses seemed necessary to all Mr. Lam- 
snaska, smack, snub, chide (snasle, sweetmeat) ; mle's friends -as necessary as their transaction of bnsi- 
cf. smash, smack 2 , and also snarl* (D. snakkcii, 
chatter, etc.).] To talk saucilv. Jamieson. 
[Scotch.] 
snash (snash), . [< snash, .] Insolent, oppro- 
brious language ; impertinent abuse. [Scotch.] 
Poor tenant bodies, scant o' cash, 
How they maun thole the factor's snash! 
Burns, The Twa Dogs. 
snastt (snast), . [Appar. a var. of gnast 1 , 
'When I ' m8t > in the same sense.] The snuff of a can- 
dle. 
Thus not only as oft as we speak, as one salth, but also 
as oft as we do anything of note or consequence, we sub- 
ject ourselves to every one's censure, and happy is he that 
is least tossed upon tongues ; for utterly to escape the 
snatch of them it is impossible ! 
The Translators to the Reader of the Bible (A. V.), p. cvi. 
3t. A catching of the voice : impeded utterance. 
[Rare.] 
The snatches In his voice, 
And burst of speaking, were as his. 
Shak., Cymbeline, iv. 2. 105. 
4. A piece snatched or broken off; a small 
piece or quantity; a fragment; a bit. 
Mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up ; 
Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes. 
Shak., Hamlet, iv. 7. 178. 
But I am somewhat worn, 
A stiatch of sleep were like the peace of God. 
Tennyson, Harold, v. 1. 
6. A short fit of vigorous action : as, a snatch 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., v. 6. 77. 
2. Figuratively, to speak in a sharp and quar- 
relsome or faultfinding way; talk rudely or 
churlishly; snap. 
What ! were you snarling all before I came, 
Ready to catch each other by the throat, 
And turn you all your hatred now on me? 
Shak., Rich. III., i. 3. 188. 
II. h-ans. To utter with a snarl : as, to snarl 
one's discontent; to snarl out an oath. 
"No, you are dreadfully inspired," said Felix, 
the wicked Tempter is tired of snarling that word failure 
in a man's cell, he sends a voice like a thrush to say it for 
hlm - George Eliot, Felix Holt, xlv. 
snarl 1 (snarl), n. [< *?!, r.] 
You chandler, I like not your tricks ; . . . after your 
weeke or mwfl [read siiaxt] is stiffened, you dip it in filthy 
drone, and after give him a coat of good tallowe. 
ness together in a gipsy way at untimely hours. . . . and 
in rushes and snatches. Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, ii. 4. 
6. A hasty repast ; a snack ; a bit of food. 
I fear you'll have cold entertainment when 
You are at your journey's end ; and 'twere discretion 
To take a snatch by the way. 
Masxinger, Duke of Milan, iii. 2. 
7. A quibble ; a shuffling answer. [Rare.] 
Come, sir, leave me your snatches, and yield me a direct 
answer. Shak., M. for M., iv. 2. 6. 
8. An open lead for a block. See snatch-block. 
By snatches, in a disconnected or spasmodic manner; 
by fits and starts. Dumb snatch, a snatch having no 
sheave. 
as related to gnar*, etc.] I. trans. 1.' To en- 
tangle; complicate; involve in knots: as to 
snarl a skein of thread. 
I 
W ... ;,,* ,, tu , njiu acne LO i Hum ii 
s own leesse. Palsgra," 
Through thousand snarled thickets posting she 
Darted her self, regardless of her way. 
J. Beaumont, Psyche, ii. 27. 
2. To embarrass ; confuse ; entangle. 
This was the question that they would have snarled 
Latimer. (Imp. Diet.) 
3. To shape or ornament the exterior of (ves- 
sels of thin metal) by repercussion from within 
bee 8narling-4ron. 
. piou. .uiin icti. Lirruv. -^^g-J 
''"" ' J snatch (snach), ).; pret. and pp. snatched (for- 
merly0At),ppr. snatching. [< ME. snaclieii, 
snacchen. siiccchen, an assibilated form of snak- 
A-ew, E. snack, snatch: see snack.] I. trans. 1. snatch-cleat (snach'klet), n. Xaut., a curved 
To seize or take hastily, eagerly, abmptlv, or cleat or chock round which a rope may be led. 
..:~1~ *.! *^ ' Cfvi ri 4- nln rt* /L,vili'A\ r/ ,.J~I. I ___1 -* . 
-- :h-block. 
heavy purchases where a warp or haw- 
ser is brought to a capstan, it is called a voyal or viol block 
Also notch-block. See also cut und 
violently. 
He ... from my finger snatch'd that ring. 
Shak., C. of E., v. 1. 276. 
I'm loth to snatch thy punishment 
Out of the hand of justice. 
B. Jonson, Volpone, iii. e. 
Him did I see snatch up with horrid grasp 
Two sprawling Greeks, in either hand a man. 
Addison, ^Eneid, iii. 
tched down their rusty firelocks from 
to make good the resolute words 
snatcher (snach'er), ii. [< snatch + -<ri.] i. 
Onewho snatches, ortakes suddenly or guiltily ': 
as, a body-snatcher; specifically, formerly, in 
Scotland, a roving thief, especially one of a body 
of plunderers hanging upon a military force. 
We do not mean the coursing snatchers only 
But fear the main intendment of the Scot 
Shak., Hen. V., i. 2. 143. 
The Town-herd . . . regularly drove them [all the cattle 
a ' 8 
to become entangled. 
n...>, ,^,, cl , n ,, , lu mane gooa me resolute words of ing, and brought them back at nieht without whi 
IH trans. To make tangles or snarls; also, 4 hr town debates. Emerson, Hist. Discourse at Concord, caution they would have fallen a speedv -prey to Ts 
Hence, figuratively 2. To get or save by sud- the s " te * e in ^ neighbourhood. Scott, Monastery, i. 
2. pi. In ornith., specifically, birds of prey; the 
Baptorm. See cuts under Kaptores. 
snatchingly (snach'ing-li), adr. By snatching; 
168. hastily; abruptly. Imp. Diet. 
