▪ I. snip, n.
(snɪp)
Also 6–8 snippe, 6 snypp, 7 snipp.
[Related to snip v., and in some senses perh. directly of LG. origin: cf. LG. snip (G. dial. schnipf, schnipp) and snippe a small piece, etc., Du. and Fris. snip a snappish girl or woman.]
I. 1. a. A small piece or slip, esp. of cloth, cut off or out; a shred.
| 1558 in Feuillerat Revels Q. Eliz. (1908) 27 In to Iagges and Snippes for defacinge of torche bearers. 1606 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iv. i. Tropheis 1103 Her lips two snips of crimsin Sattin are. c 1620 Moryson Itin. iv. 489 To weare a litle snipp of yellowe lace vpon the left syde of their Clokes. 1691 T. H[ale] Acc. New Invent. 95 Cut a snip from the thickest and thinnest part. 1756 Connoisseur No. 115 ¶7 A snip of hair, or the portrait of a cherry⁓cheeked gentleman,..are the only remaining proofs of those beauties. 1787 Cowper Let. 10 Dec., I thank you for your snip of cloth commonly called a pattern. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. ii. vi. viii, Patriotism has torn their red coats into snips. 1849 Alb. Smith Pottleton Legacy (1854) 24 Snips of the metal used in packing tea. 1864 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. IV. 542 A snip of paper. |
b. transf. or fig. (Freq. in Fuller.)
| 1650 Fuller Pisgah 370 No snip, or shred of empty space cut off from the squareness of the Oracle. a 1661 ― Worthies (1840) III. 391 Yorkshire hath..Lancashire and a snip of Cheshire on the west. 1682 Wheler Journ. Greece iii. 280 There might be some Mediterranean Snip of Land, running down between Ionia and Lydia. |
† c. spec. Of glass: (see quot.). Obs.
| 1688 Holme Armoury iii. 385/2 A Snip, is the upper halfe, and sometymes a quarter or lesse of a Quarry, Three Snips goes for a quarry. |
2. A white or light mark, patch, or spot on a horse, esp. on the nose or lip.
Cf. G. dial. schnippe a horse with a mark on the nose, schnipp a horse or cow with a narrow blaze.
| 1562 Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees, 1835) 202 A younge baye geldinge with a whyte snypp off [= on] ye nose. 1607 Markham Cavel. ii. (1617) 3 Your redde Sorrell, and your darke Chesnutte, are much graced, if..they be accompanied with any white markes, as..white snippes on the nose. 1679 Poor Robin's Intelligence in Sporting Mag. XXXIX. 61 Her colour was now coal black, with a star, snip, and one white foot. 1726 Brice's Weekly Jrnl. 25 Mar. 3 A Brown Bay Nag, with..a white Snip in one of the hinder Feet. 1799 Hull Advertiser 10 Aug. 2/2 A stout handsome chesnut gelding,..a white snip on his nose. 1820– in Sc. and north. dial. use (Jam. and Eng. Dial. Dict.). 1891 E. Kinglake Australian 118 That brown horse over there with a snip. 1893 M. H. Hayes Points of Horse xx. (1897) 222 A white or pink patch on either lip is called a ‘snip’. |
3. a. A small amount, piece, or portion, a little bit (of something). every snip, every bit.
| (a) 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. iii. i. 22 Keepe not too long in one tune, but a snip and away. a 1641 Bp. R. Montagu New Gagg iii. 42, I like not that the ancient Fathers should be..sent away like school boys with snips. 1749 Smollett Gil Blas vii. xii. (1782) III. 89 Let me know what is the business, and I promise you shall get some snips out of the minister. 1833 Carlyle Misc. (1857) III. 185 Picking up a few residuary snips. |
| (b) 1624 J. Gee New Shreds Pref. p. ii, Some snips of..their legerdemaine trickes .. here I display. a 1668 Davenant Man's the Master ii. i, May not a man see a snip of her face? 1700 Dryden Epilogue Dryden's Benefit 14 The Poets..Tainted the Stage for some small Snip of Gain. 1831 Carlyle in Froude (1882) II. 179 Sunday morning had a snip of a note from Empson. 1894 Blackmore Perlycross 50 My hair is such a trouble, I have half a mind sometimes to cut off every snip of it. |
b. Applied to persons in depreciation or contempt. In later use: A young, slight, or diminutive person.
| 1625 Massinger New Way ii. ii, This term-driver, Marrall, This snip of an attorney. 1838 [Miss Maitland] Lett. fr. Madras (1843) 221 Half the experienced men are kept in subordinate situations, and young raw snips placed over their heads. 1902 Daily Chron. 11 Feb. 5/1 Why, this snip is no better than anybody else when he lands here. |
† 4. a. A share or portion; a snack. Obs.
| 1655 tr. Sorel's Com. Hist. Francion i. 13 The Justice of the place..not willing to lose his Snip [etc.]. 1672 Wycherley Love in a Wood i. ii, He watches them like a younger brother that is afraid to be mumped of his snip. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 140 The Governor distributing to the Officers, and they to the Soldiers, every one having their Snips. 1702 Steele Funeral iii. ii, Take care of their Young Ladyships; you shall..have a Snip in the Sale of 'em. |
b. to go snips († or snip), to go shares (with some one, or in something), to share or participate in the profits. Now dial.
In very common use c 1680–1690, esp. by Hickeringill.
| (a) 1668 Dryden Even. Love v. i, Pray, Sir, let me go snip with you in this Lie. 1687 R. L'Estrange Fairfax' Tasso Pref. A 2, I recommend it to the Bookseller, for the common benefit, and..I go no snip with the Stationer. |
| (b) 1677 Thoresby Corr., etc. (1830) II. 408 Some of our company went snips with them. 1682 Topham Rome's Tradit. 209 The Subtil Old Gentleman..offered him (if he would promote the Trade) to go Snips. 1706 E. Baynard Cold Baths ii. 202 Those that go Snips with their Apothecaries, are Villains of the first Magnitude. 1725 Bailey Erasm. Colloq. (1733) 322 The Gamester..promises I shall go Snips with him in what he shall win. a 1800 Pegge Suppl. Grose s.v. Snaps. 1861– in Sc. and north. dial. use (Eng. Dial. Dict.). |
II. 5. a. A small cut or incision made by, or such as that made by, a pair of scissors; a wound of this nature. Also dial., a small hole or crack.
| 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. iv. iii. 89 What's this? a sleeue?.. Heers snip, and nip, and cut, and slish and slash. 1600 Surflet Countrie Farme i. xxv. 159 If there by any snips in their skins, you shall apply vnto them melted waxe. 1682 Wheler Journ. Greece iii. 219 Long sharp leaves..without snips at the Edges. 1698 J. Crull Muscovy 136 Bonnets, with a little snip open before and behind. 1775 Ash, Snick, a small snip or cut as in the hair of a beast. 1867 Waugh Tattlin' Matty ii. 24 Squirtin' wayter into my ear through a snip i' th corner o' th window. 1886 C. Scott Sheep Farm. 149 The snip and hole are used alternately, to designate..the exact part of the ear intended to be marked. |
b. Pottery. A small projection on the lip of a vessel, the place for which is prepared by cutting a notch.
| 1834–6 Barlow in Encycl. Metrop. (1845) VIII. 455 These manipulations fix on the clay vessels their handles, snips, spouts [etc.]. Ibid., For snips of jugs, &c., a piece is cut out of the upper edge of proper size and shape. |
6. a. An act of snipping; a single cut or clip of scissors, etc.
| 1676 Wiseman Surg. Treat. 256, I laid it open by a snip of a pair of Scissors. c 1765 T. Flloyd Tartarian T. (1785) 103/2 Four snips of a pair of scissars will initiate you. 1831 Carlyle Sart. Res. i. v, Every snip of the Scissors has been regulated..by ever-active Influences. 1886 Daily Telegr. 14 Jan. (Cassell), A few snips of the scissors..and last year's robe will do duty for this. |
b. A nip, pinch, bite, etc.
| 1767 S. Paterson Another Trav. II. 41 He has a snip, or a flip, or a sting, or a fling, at almost every body! 1840 Hood Miss Kilmansegg, Education 509 He got..Scratches, and pinches, snips, and snaps, As if from a Tigress or Bearess. 1880 Blackmore Mary Anerley xxxix, The bruising snip a hungry cow makes. |
7. slang or colloq. A tailor. Also employed as an allusive personal name for a tailor.
| (a) 1599 B. Jonson Ev. Man out of Hum. iv. v [iv], Well, now, master Snip, let mee see your bill. a 1634 Randolph Muses' Looking Gl. iv. iii, Sir, here's Snip the Taylor Charg'd with a riot. 1694 Motteux Rabelais iv. lii, At Paris..Snip Groignet the Taylor had turn'd an old Clementinæ into Patterns and Measures. 1824 W. E. Andrews Rev. Fox's Bk. Martyrs I. 252 Both Snip and Snob were burned for their pains. a 1849 H. Coleridge Ess. (1851) I. 206 Snip can do more—he can make you an impeccable pair of inexpressibles by simply taking the girth of your thumb. 1858 Trollope Dr. Thorne II. iii. 56 Well done, Snip; go it again with the wax and thread. |
| (b) 1630 B. Jonson New Inn v. i, Hang him, poor snip, a secular shop-wit! He hath nought but his sheers to claim by, and his measures. a 1634 Randolph Muses' Looking Gl. iv. ii, Lup. Where's my wife? Colax. Shee's gone with a young Snip, and an old baud. 1785 Grose Dict. Vulgar T., Snip, a taylor. 1808 J. Mayne Siller Gun iii. xxi, ‘A ring, a ring!’ the sutors cried; ‘A ring, a ring!’ the snips replied. 1853 R. S. Surtees Sponge's Sp. Tour (1893) 26 ‘Very neat, sir; would look remarkably well on you, sir,’ replies the obsequious snip. 1871 M. E. Braddon R. Godwin II. i. 6 Shall I give you a line to my snip? |
8. pl. (See quot.) Cf. tinsnips.
| 1846 Holtzapffel Turning II. 915 Hand shears..are often called snips, to distinguish them from bench shears. 1940 I. L. Idriess Lightning Ridge xiii. 88 As the miner's hand gently closed on the snips the jaws came together and bit a chip from the edge of the nobby. 1966 D. F. Galouye Lost Perception xviii. 188 He fished his snips out of the kit. ‘Now we have only to cut the cables.’ 1979 Sunset Apr. 170/2 The home owner made a pattern first, then used tin snips to cut long pieces of copper trimmings into strips. |
9. pl. Handcuffs. slang.
| 1891 Newcastle Even. Chron. 21 Feb. 3/2 Accused did not offer to go quietly till the police had the ‘snips’ on him. 1895 A. Patterson Man & Nat. 141 In a moment the slop..had the snips (handcuffs) on me. |
10. a. slang. Something easily obtained or won; a sure thing, a certainty.
| a 1890 Sporting Life in Barrère & Leland Dict. Slang (1890) II. 268 D. is in glorious form with his wires, and is certain to keep it up next week at the above meetings, for which he knows of several snips. 1894 Sir J. D. Astley 50 Yrs. Life II. 181 The event looked a dead snip. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 24 July 5/3 The half-mile was described by the supporters of the Americans as a ‘snip’ for their men. 1913 C. Mackenzie Sinister St. I. ii. xi. 323 You'll get your Third Fifteen cap for a snip. 1923 E. P. Oppenheim Inevitable Millionaires xxviii. 285 ‘You think it will be a good speculation, then?’ Stephen observed, a little sadly. ‘A dead snip,’ Sir Philip assured them. 1945 ‘N. Shute’ Most Secret viii. 187 It is a snip; we will get both of them. 1954 Wodehouse Jeeves & Feudal Spirit ii. 19 Wooster..is the deadest of snips. He throws a beautiful dart. |
b. A bargain, a good buy. slang.
| 1926 H. V. Morton Spell of London 94 She sees a tea⁓gown with the authentic plainness..about it that tells her it began life in higher circles. ‘Now, that's a snip, miss. Just your style!’ 1933 Camera Aug. 7 (Advt.), Exchange your present camera for one of these guaranteed ‘snips’. 1935 L. A. G. Strong Tuesday Afternoon 20 The smart man comes along, looks in the window, spots the real snip. 1956 ‘N. Shute’ Beyond Black Stump ix. 254 Got them for only a couple of quid each, a snip. 1963 Punch 30 Jan. 162/1 A snip at forty bucks. 1977 Times 29 Oct. 10/6 At a time when Beaujolais prices are soaring it is a snip at {pstlg}1·90. |
c. A piece of good fortune. In phr. a snip of a (thing) to designate something simpler, more excellent, or more pleasing than one could have expected, a ‘gift’.
| 1932 W. S. Maugham For Services Rendered ii. 47 It's been a snip for me having this house to come to. Except for all of you I should have had a pretty thin time. 1952 M. Tripp Faith is Windsock xiv. 210 A snip of an op. Cloud over the target thwarted any searchlights, fog kept the fighters down and there was no flak. 1953 Dylan Thomas Under Milk Wood (1954) 47 Llaregyb this snip of a morning is wildfruit and warm, the streets, fields, sands and waters springing in the young sun. |
III. 11. attrib. and Comb., as snip-like, snip-nosed adjs.; snip-bag, a bag for holding snips of cloth, etc.; † snip-cabbage, a tailor; snip-faced a. (of a horse), marked with a snip; snip-jack, a person of little account or worth (cf. quot.); snip-nose (see quot. 1753); † snip-work, Glazing (cf. 1 c above).
| 1703 [R. Neve] City & C. Purchaser 154 Ordinary Houses..are Glazed with Quarries, which is Bevel Work, so like⁓wise is a great deal of Fret, and all Snip-work. 1708 E. Ward Terræfil. v. 35 The Gentleman and yonder Snip-Cabbage, his Taylor, [were] Commended for their Ingenuity. 1753 Hanway Trav. (1762) II. xv. iv. 420 This man was from that time called binnie buride, or snip-nose. 1814 Moore New Cost. Ministers v, While Y-rm-th, with snip-like and brisk expedition, Cuts up..a large Cath'lic Petition. 1846 Marryat Privateer's-man xiv, ‘I can do without such snip-jacks as you are.’ ‘Snip-jacks!’..replied I, ‘if I must say it, we are better born and better bred than you or any of your connections’. 1878 Dickinson Cumbld. Gloss., Snip feasst. 1880 Plain Hints Needlewk. 35 Take one yard of ‘cheese cloth’..out of the snip bag. 1880 Day Fishes Gt. Brit. I. 130 Trachinotus Cumberlandi,..the fisherman's name is Snip-nosed-mullet. |
▪ II. snip, v.
(snɪp)
Also 6 snyppe.
[prob. of Du. or LG. origin: cf. Du., Flem., and LG. snippen, G. dial. schnippen, schnipfen, schniffen, to snip, snatch, etc.]
† 1. trans. To take (something) quickly or suddenly; to snap or snatch. Obs.
| 1586 J. Hooker Hist. Irel. in Holinshed II. 83/1 One of your horssemen promised me a choise horsse, if I snip one haire from your beard. Well, quoth the earle,..if thou plucke anie more than one [etc.]. 1633 Rowley Match at Midnight ii. i, Well, and she be snipped by threescore and ten, may she live six-score and eleven. 1720 De Foe Capt. Singleton i. (1840) 7 The captain seldom ordered anything..but I snipt some of it for my own share. |
| absol. 1592 Greene Def. Conny Catch. Wks. (Grosart) XI. 96 They wil to snip and snap, that al the reuersion goes into hel. 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. To Rdr., While we..snip here and snatch there from some of them. |
2. To cut, to cut up or off, by or as by scissors or some similar cutting instrument.
| 1593 Norden Spec. Brit. (Camden) Pref. p. xiv, They have snippers wherwith they snyppe and pare their plates. 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Rich. II, xlii, Hee takes the Measure of his Maister's stuffe, And Snips it to a Size..Convenient for his Fashion. a 1687 H. More Cont. Remark. Stories 420 They would be snipt and slasht full of holes. 1796 Phil. Trans. LXXXVI. 445 It was snipt a good deal, and several holes were worn in the middle. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xl, He found Becky and her companion..busy cutting, ripping, snipping, and tearing all sorts of black stuffs. 1871 T. R. Jones Anim. Kingd. (ed. 4) 599 If one of these muscular capsules be snipped by means of a pair of very fine scissors. |
| fig. 1628 Jackson Creed vi. Wks. VI. 83 For snipping this secret hypocrisy..this exercise of the civil sword hath no force or dint. 1674 J. B[rian] Harvest-Home ii. 5 Th' impartial Fates..With keenest Scissars snip lifes thread asunder. 1893 Advance (Chicago) 11 May, While the ‘Higher Criticism’ is laboriously snipping the book of Genesis into ‘Elohistic’ and ‘Jehovistic’ fragments. |
b. absol. To make a cut or cuts with or as with scissors, etc. Also, of scissors: To cut.
| a 1680 Butler Rem. (1759) II. 138 Like a Barber's Scissars, which are always snipping, as well when they do not cut, as when they do. 1827 Scott Jrnl. 7 Dec., I wish I have not made that article too long, and Lockhart will not snip away. 1848 Dickens Dombey xxix, Miss Tox,..arming herself with her scissors, began to snip and clip among the leaves. 1872 Proctor Ess. Astron. xxiv. 312 One can snip round the borders of a region until its size has been reduced. |
c. To injure by chipping or taking small pieces out of.
| 1822– in north. dial. use (Eng. Dial. Dict.). 1884 L'pool Mercury 22 Oct. 5/5 The granite pedestal may be snipped; or a thousand other disasters may occur. |
d. Cricket. To hit (the ball) lightly; to snick.
| 1890 Pall Mall G. 21 Aug. 6/3 Maclaren soon opens his account.., but gently snipping a ball from Streatfeild he is easily caught by Abel in the slips. |
3. To cut off by means of scissors or other sharp instrument. Also fig.
| 1611 Cotgr., Mordiller, to nibble, gnaw, fret, snip off. 1624 Gataker Transubst. 214 Hee should have done well..to have snipt off or concealed at least, the last clause. a 1625 Fletcher Fair Maid Inn iv. i, Because I will not afflict you with any large bill Of circumstances, I'll snip off particulars. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. (1699) 339 He takes hold of the fore-skin with two sticks and with a pair of Scissors snips it off. 1742 H. Baker Microsc. ii. x. 122 A piece of the..Membrane..snipped off with a Pair of sharp Scissars. 1826 S. Cooper First Lines Surgery (ed. 5) 349 The new opening..is then to be enlarged by snipping off the flap of the iris. 1846 Landor Imag. Conv. I. 79 He has snipt off as much as he could pinch from every author of reputation. 1888 Freeman in Stephens Life (1895) II. x. 380, I simply had my uvula snipped off. |
b. With away, from, out of, etc.
| 1768–74 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1834) I. 101 By snipping away the superfluities of the paper from her figure. 1858 Dickens Lett. (1880) II. 60 He is perpetually snipping pieces out of newspapers. 1896 Pall Mall Mag. May 16 A bullet snipped a corner from my hat. |
c. To cut out by snipping. Also fig.
| 1800 Asiatic Ann. Reg. II. 113/2 He next proceeded very accurately to snip out their suspicions into four and twenty parts. 1855 O. W. Holmes Poems 137 Boys..Who, for a very trifling sum, Will snip one's picture out. |
4. To snub, check, repress. Now dial.
| 1601–14 [see snipping vbl. n. 3]. 1647 Fuller Good Th. Worse T. 24 If I were curb'd and Snip't in my younger yeares by feare of my parents, from those vicious excrescencies. 1823– in dial. use (Suffolk, Somerset, Devon). |
5. Used adverbially to denote either sound or action.
| a 1661 B. Holyday Juvenal (1673) 189 How many towns he owns, who went snip, snip; As his quick sizzers my young beard did clip! |