▪ I. † snook, n.1 north. and Sc. Obs.
Forms: 3 snoc, snoke, 4–5 snuk(e, snwk, 7 snewke.
[Of obscure origin: cf. nook n.1]
A projecting point or piece of land; a promontory.
| c 1236 Newminster Cartul. (Surtees) 55 In illa parte agri quæ vocatur le Snoc. ? 1297 Documents Illustr. Hist. Scotl. (1870) II. 160 In factura pontis castri Berwyci, muri lapidei juxta mare subtus le Snoke. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 188 Fra Weik anent Orknay To Mullyr-snwk in Gallaway. Ibid. iv. 556 On Turnberyis nwk [v.r. snuke] he may Mak a fyre. c 1470 Henry Wallace vii. 1044 Furth thai fle Till Dwnottar, a snuk within the se. 1648 Blaeu Atlas Engl., Map of Insvla Sacra, The Snewke or Conny warren. |
▪ II. snook, n.2
(snuːk)
[ad. Du. snoek pike: cf. snoek n.]
A name given to various fishes, esp. the sergeant-fish, Elacate canada, and the robalo, Centropomus undecimalis.
| 1697 W. Dampier Voy. (1699) 243 The Fish I observed here mostly, were what we call Snooks, neither a Sea fish nor a fresh Water fish, but very numerous in these salt Lakes. 1725 Sloane Jamaica II. 288 Snook. It was taken at Passage fort. 1827 O. W. Roberts Voy. Centr. Amer. 156 It [Caratasca Lagoon] abounds in various sorts of fish of the finest description, particularly mullet, calapaner, snoak, cavallee, and also manatee. 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, Snook, a common fish, both of the sea and the rivers of the West Indies, the Centropomus undecimalis. 1883 Fisheries Exhib. Catal. (ed. 4) 170 Model of Fresh-water Fishpot, for taking mullet, snook, &c. |
▪ III. snook, n.3
(snuːk)
Also snooks.
[Of obscure origin.]
A derisive gesture, = sight n.1 7 c. Chiefly in phr. to cock a snook (at).
| 1791 E. Wynne Diary 7 Dec. (1935) I. 90 They cock snooks at one on every occasion. 1879 A. J. C. Hare Story Life (1900) V. 218 If I put my hands so..(cutting a snooks), they might reproach me very much indeed. 1904 Times 24 Sept. 8/3 The young monkey puts his tongue in his cheek and cocks a snook at you. 1906 Drury Men at Arms 36 Her Majesty's ship..cocked her jibboom snooks-fashion at her late enemy the sea. 1929 H. S. Walpole Hans Frost i. vii. 78 He was like a dirty street boy cocking a snook at Sappho. 1938 E. Ambler Cause for Alarm viii. 128 The Rome–Berlin axis..cocked the biggest snook yet at the League of Nations idea. 1959 M. Cumberland Murmurs in Rue Morgue v. 38 With his right hand he made the somewhat coarse gesture known as ‘cocking a snook’. The thumb and extended fingers, spread in front of the face, made a baffling disguise. 1961 B. Fergusson Watery Maze ii. 48 It would be idle to pretend that it was of much importance; it was really only cocking a vulgar snook. 1965 Listener 9 Sept. 374/2, I walked past the Thatched House..where I and other young journalists used to cock snooks at our superiors. 1980 Times 29 Feb. 10 East German craft last spring embarked upon a new ploy..to net a Danish torpedo,..cooking a snook at Nato's Baltic muscle. |
Hence ˈsnook-cocking vbl. n., snook-cockingly adv.; snook-cocker.
| 1950 D. Gascoyne Vagrant 57 And not think them impudent snook-cocking. 1958 Economist 6 Dec. 880/2 The seven Liberal councillors of Finchley..in snook-cocking protest against the local shortcomings of London Transport's bus service have launched a free private service of their own. 1962 Spectator 13 Apr. 478 A snook-cockingly ‘blasphemous’ film. 1965 E. Gowers Fowler's Mod. Eng. Usage (ed. 2) 535/2 Mere snook-cockers of whom it has been said..that their only concern is to ‘find someone who is doing something..and fling a few insults at him’. 1978 Cadogan & Craig Women & Children First viii. 167 Spike Milligan's snook-cocking record of his war-time experiences. |
▪ IV. snook
variant of snoke v.