▪ I. † snack, n.1 Obs.
Also 1–2 snacc, 3 snak.
[Late OE. snacc, obscurely related to OHG. snacga, snaga (G. dial. snacke, schnake), ON. snekkja, etc. Cf. also OF. esneque, esneke, med.L. (e)snecca.]
A species of ship.
| 1052 O.E. Chron. (MS. C), Þa let Eadward cyng scypian .xl. snacca. c 1100 Ibid. an. 1066 (MS. D), He for to Scotlande mid .xii. snaccum. 1299 Stat. & Ordin. Irel. (Rolls) 216 Quod soluerunt per preceptum Regis pro fretto cuiusdam nauis que vocata fuit le Snack. 1300 Liber Quotid. Garderobæ (1787) 275 Johanni Kittey, magistro del snak de la Rye. Ibid., Johanni Manekyn, magistro del snak Sancti Thome. |
▪ II. snack, n.2
(snæk)
Also 5 snake, 6 snacke, Sc. snak.
[f. snack v. Cf. MDu. snac(k, WFlem. snak, in sense 1.]
1. a. A snap, a bite, esp. that of a dog. Now dial.
In quot. 1402 fig., with approximation to sense 3.
| 1402 Hoccleve Letter of Cupid 109 She, behinde thy bake, So lyberal ys, she wol no wyght with-sey, But smertly of another take a snake. 1513 Douglas æneid xii. xii. 150 The swipir Tuscan hund..With hys wyd chaftis at hym makis a snak. 1570 Levins Manip. 5/14 Y⊇ snacke of a dog, morsus. 1831 S. E. Ferrier Destiny xx, The honest man who found a snail in his [broth]. ‘Tak ye that snack, my man,’ says he, ‘for looking sae like a plum-damy’. 1896 Lilburn Borderer vi. 39 The bitch overtook the hare and gave a snack at its hinder parts. |
b. A sharp or snappish remark or jibe.
| 1555 tr. Latimer's Protest. in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) III. App. xxxiv. 92, I coulde..not be suffered to declare my faithe befor you..without snakkes, reiagges,..rebukes, and tauntes. 1896 G. Chanter Witch of Withyford x. 121 She fancied 'twas a snack at the Squire, as he hadn't been near her since the storm. |
† 2. A short time; a snatch. Obs.—1
| 1513 Douglas æneid viii. vii. 86 As he had slummerit bot a snak. |
3. a. A share, portion, part.
| 1683 Kennett tr. Erasm. on Folly 112 Because the first, if they are humoured, giue them some snacks out of unjust gain. 1699 E. S―cy Country Gentl. Vade M. 98 If any body has any right to a Snack, 'tis this Gentleman, who saw me take it up. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 79 It will go plaguy hard, if he miss a Snack of it. 1777 E. Ryves Poems 159 I'll never lose scent of thee, until I have at least had snacks in the reward for apprehending thee. 1855 Carlyle Misc. (1857) IV. 339 None of them without some snack of principality taken from the main lot. |
b. In phr. to come (or put) in for a snack, etc.
| 1693 Chauncy Rej. Williams 10 But there is another Righteousness..that puts in for a snack, viz. that of the new Law. 1700 Earl of Bellomont Let. to Sir J. Stanley 5 Mar. (Welbeck MSS.), I am told that..I have a right to a third part of them, but if the rest of the Lords come in for snacks, I shall be satisfyed. 1760–72 H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) I. 141 The landlord would take all if we did not come in for snacks. |
c. to go snacks († or snack), to have a share (in something), to divide profits.
| 1693 Dryden, etc. Juvenal vii. (1726) 98 If one piece thou take, That must be cantled, and the Judge go snack. 1701 Farquhar Sir H. Wildair iv. ii, Well, monsieur! 'tis about a thousand pounds; we go snacks. 1748 Smollett Rod. Rand. (1812) I. 106 A present to the Secretary with whom some of the commissioners went snacks. 1788 Cowper Pity for poor Africans 16 While they get riches.., Pray tell me why we may not also go snacks? 1829 Creevey in Creevey P. (1904) II. viii. 201 To go snacks himself in the acquisition of power and profit. 1862 Temple Bar VI. 10 The Princesses..were mean enough to go snacks in the profits. |
4. a. A mere taste, a small quantity, of liquor.
In quot. 1685 perh. simply in sense 3.
| 1685 J. Dunton Lett. fr. New-Eng. (1867) 11 As he was sure to supply us with Drink even without asking, so he would always thrust himself in for a snack, in helping to drink it. 1721 Ramsay Lucky Spence xvi, My malison..On them that drink and dinna pay, But tak a snack and run away. 1848 Kingsley Saint's Trag. iii. ii, And take his snack of brandy for digestion. |
b. A mere bite or morsel of food, as contrasted with a regular meal; a light or incidental repast.
| 1757 Monitor No. 90, When once a man has got a snack of their trenchers, he too often retains a hankering after the honey-pot. 1763 Foote Mayor of G. i. Wks. 1799 I. 174 We have but just time for a snack. 1811 Ora & Juliet III. 134, I didn't eat nothing but a bit of a snack at noon, and I am hungry. 1844 Alb. Smith Adv. Mr. Ledbury xli. (1886) 126 Our friends took a slight snack of cold bread and meat. 1874 L. Carr J. Gwynne I. ii. 46 Just to take a snack of dinner, before going over the outlying parts. |
| fig. 1817 Keats Let. Wks. 1889 III. 75 Having taken a snack or luncheon of literary scraps. 1892 Zangwill Childr. Ghetto I. 76 He craved more for spiritual snacks between meals than for physical. |
c. attrib., designating a place at which snacks are sold, as snack booth, snack counter, snack shop; in appositive use, as snack lunch, snack meal; snack-sized adj. snack-house, a restaurant. Cf. snack bar.
| 1976 D. Heffron Crusty Crossed xxii. 147, I sat alone on the sand, watching my sisters parade over to the snack booth with their boyfriends. |
| 1977 W. J. Weatherby Home in Dark viii. 44 A large woman who served behind the snack counter. |
| 1820 T. Cromwell Excurs. Irel. vii. 2 Partaking of the snack at one or other of the Snack-houses which abound in these villages. 1895 Amer. Dial. Notes I. 374 There's a right chance o' snack houses down to Bakervul. |
| 1964 N. Marsh Dead Water iii. 85, I..had a snack lunch in the new bar. 1977 W. Hildick Loop ix. 47 After a snack lunch, I walked round to the School House. |
| 1962 Punch 28 Nov. 773/1 We are becoming ‘increasingly a nation of tea and soft-drink consumers and snack-meal eaters’. 1976 ‘K. Royce’ Bustillo xii. 157 Bustillo was eating a snack meal. |
| 1977 Chicago Tribune 2 Oct. xii. 18/2 (Advt.), Partial bldg. standing due to fire, selling as is, formerly snack shop, restaurant. |
| 1974 E. Ambler Doctor Frigo iii. 153 A snack-sized gobbet of raw flesh. |
5. Austral. slang. Something easy to accomplish, a ‘snip’.
| 1941 S. J. Baker Austral. Slang 68 Snack, a certainty. 1952 T. A. G. Hungerford Ridge & River 138 There was nothing to it... It was a snack. 1961 M. Calthorpe Dyehouse 150 In Hughie's day he'd made this a snack. 1970 R. Beilby No Medals for Aphrodite 274 ‘How could I do that, Harry?’ ‘Easy. It'll be a snack.’ |
▸ snack food n.
| 1938 Chicago Daily Tribune 22 Apr. 15/4 Nothing makes better *snack food than a sardine sandwich or canape. 2001 B. Geddes World Food: Caribbean 253/2 This popular snack food is filled with chicken, vegetable, beef, shrimp, callalloo or soya. The beef pattie, or turnover, is Jamaica's number one fast-food. |
▪ III. † snack, n.3 Obs.—0
(See quot.)
| 1787 Grose Prov. Gloss., Snack, or Spunk, a dried fungus, used as tinder. |
▪ IV. snack
dial. variant of sneck, latch.
▪ V. snack, a. and adv. Sc.
[? Related to snack v. Cf. also Norw. dial. snak greedy.]
A. adj.
1. Quick, alert, clever, smart.
| 1710 in Ruddiman Gloss. Douglas' æneis s.v. Snak. 1719 Ramsay First Answ. Hamilton x, Europe had nane mair snack and snell At verse or prose. 1789 Ross Helenore (ed. 3) 16 By this time Lindy is right well shot out,..And snack and plump. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 280 Weel I ken ye're snack. 1808 Jamieson s.v., Be snack, be quick, do not lose time. |
2. Snappish, peevish; greedy.
| 1883 Good Words 651 It is..the being grasping, or what Scotch people would call ‘snack’, over every trifle. 1894 Longm. Mag. May 9 You needn't be so snack: I can't stop to pick my words when I'm worried. |
B. adv. Quickly, sharply, smartly.
| 1739 A. Nicol Nature without Art 60 She answered me chastly and snack Why do you impose on me so? 1801 Beattie Poems 22 (E.D.D.), Trump-about gade on as snack As we'd been lairds. 1828 in Buchan Ball. N. Scotl. II. 260 The lassie..ran to the door fu' snack. |
▪ VI. snack, v.
(snæk)
Also 4, 6 snak, 6 snacke.
[Of doubtful origin: cf. MDu. or Flem. snacken to snap (of a dog), Norw. dial. snaka to snatch (of animals). The LG. and Du. snakken (G. dial. schnakken) to gasp, desire, etc., to talk or chatter, which agree in form, do not correspond in sense. The later senses are partly from snack n.2]
1. a. intr. To bite or snap (esp. at a thing). Also fig., esp. to utter or exchange sharp, snapping words or remarks. Chiefly north. and Sc. Cf. snap v. 2 a.
| 13.. Peter & Paul 310 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 79 Sone come þare forthe dogges blak, & on Peter gon þai snak. ? 1520 Dial. Creatures Moralysed xlvi, Euery of them began to snak at othir & wolde haue torn eche other on smale pecys. 1570 Levins Manip. 5 To Snacke, byte, morsitare. 1635 D. Dickson Pract. Writ. (1845) I. 24 God will not ..Captiously snack at his words. 1895 Crockett Bog-Myrtle v. ii. 366 He'll no as muckle as snack at a flee that lichts on his nose. 1902 in Eng. Dial. Dict. s.v., The pony had never shown any vice..beyond snacking at the collar when put on. 1956 C. P. Snow Homecomings l. 357 They quarrelled and snacked. Ibid. 358 The prickles and self-assertiveness which made them snack. 1959 P. H. Johnson Humbler Creation xii. 85 The usual strung-up celebrations at home, with..Libby and her mother gently snacking at each other in tones of excessive goodwill. 1960 C. P. Snow Affair viii. 91 Irene and I glanced at each other with discomfort, a discomfort different from just looking on at her husband and my wife snacking. |
b. trans. To snap up, seize upon, etc. Sc.
| 1871 Waddell Ps. lxxviii. 63 His ain youngsters, the lowe snacket up. 1891 Barrie Little Minister xvii, In the tail o' the day ane o' them snacked him up. |
2. trans. To share, divide. ? Obs.
| 1707 E. Ward Hud. Rediv. II. x. 26 Unless they are allow'd to snack The Booty which they jointly take. 1733 Revolution Politicks vii. 73 'Tis to be feared, the Guards and the Highwaymen snack'd the Booty. 1745 Life B. M. Carew 105 At this Alehouse they tarried some Time, and snack'd the Argot, i.e. shared the Money. |
| absol. 1675 Wycherley Country Wife iii. ii, Who is that that is to be bubbled? Faith! let me snack. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Crossbite, to draw in a Friend, yet snack with the Sharper. 1768 [W. Donaldson] Life Sir B. Sapskull I. iv. 41 If our ministers were as poor and beggarly as the Dutch, they might have snack'd with these illegal executors. 1853 Cooper Sussex Gloss. 76 Snack, to share or be in partnership with. |
3. intr. To lunch, to take a snack.
| 1807 Sir R. C. Hoare Tour Irel. 35 At Birr is a good inn,..where I snacked. [Note.] Snack is in Ireland synonimous with lunch in England. 1894 A. Morrison Mean Streets 90 The snacking women resumed their talk. |
Hence ˈsnacking vbl. n.
| 1959 P. H. Johnson Humbler Creation v. 30 The meeting petered away as it usually did, into desultory snackings and exchanges of fellowship. 1969 W. Cahn Out of Cracker Barrel xxiii. 318 Premium Saltines and Ritz crackers were used as snacks long before snacking came into vogue. 1978 Radio Times 18–24 Feb. 67 There are three meals a day, ‘more or less regular, with no snacking in between’. 1980 P. S. Powers Obesity ix. 219 Snacking while watching television is notorious for increasing the total daily calories ingested. |
Add: [3.] b. Const. on.
| 1972 T. McHugh Time of Buffalo viii. 85 Most of the participants snacked on raw morsels taken still warm from the slain buffalo. 1979 P. Driscoll Pangolin ix. 77 The stalls were tiny places..crowded with Chinese snacking on noodles. 1985 Sunday Times 24 Feb. 36/6 They stood in the clubhouse snacking on Mars Bars and Nut 17 muesli bars with raisins. 1989 M. Atwood Cat's Eye xi. 330, I can eat haphazardly now, snack on junk food and take-outs. |