snap
to make a sudden, sharp, distinct sound; crack, as a whip; crackle.
to click, as a mechanism or the jaws or teeth coming together.
to move, strike, shut, catch, etc., with a sharp sound, as a door, lid, or lock.
to break suddenly, especially with a sharp, cracking sound, as something slender and brittle: The branch snapped.
to act or move with quick or abrupt motions of the body: to snap to attention.
to take a photograph, especially without formal posing of the subject.
to make a quick or sudden bite or grab (often followed by at).
to utter a quick, sharp sentence or speech, especially a command, reproof, retort, etc. (often followed by at).
to be radiant; sparkle; flash, as the eyes.
to seize with or take, buy, or obtain as with a quick bite or grab (followed by up or off): The bargains were snapped up.
to secure, judge, vote, etc., hastily: They snapped the bill through Congress.
to cause to make a sudden, sharp sound: to snap one's fingers.
to crack (a whip).
to bring, strike, shut, open, operate, etc., with a sharp sound or movement: to snap a lid down.
to address or interrupt (a person) quickly and sharply.
to say or utter (words, a command, a retort, etc.) in a quick, sharp manner: to snap complaints.
to break suddenly, especially with a cracking sound: to snap a stick in half.
to take a photograph of, especially quickly.
Digital Technology. to move (an icon, line, window, or other displayed item) instantly and automatically into alignment with a grid or into a predetermined position, as to a corner or edge of the screen.
Digital Technology. to use a smartphone or other digital device to scan (a QR code or other source) in order to read the encoded text or URL and to browse the hyperlinked website or web page.
Building Trades. to transfer (a line) to a surface by means of a chalk line.
Football. to put (the ball) into play by tossing it back to the quarterback or other member of the offensive backfield, especially from between the legs when bent over double and facing the line of scrimmage; center.
Hunting. to fire (a shot) quickly, especially without raising the gun to aim from the eye.
a quick, sudden action or movement, as the flick of a whip or the breaking of a twig.
a short, sharp sound, as that caused by breaking a twig or closing a latch.
a catch or fastener that closes by pressure and clicks together.
Informal. briskness, vigor, or energy: That song has a lot of snap.
a quick, sharp speech or manner of speaking: He uttered his commands with a snap.
a quick or sudden bite or grab, as at something: The fish ate with little snaps.
something obtained by or as by biting or grabbing: a snap of food.
a brittle cookie.
a short spell or period, as of cold weather: an unexpected cold snap.
Informal. an easy, profitable, or agreeable position, piece of work, or the like: This job is a snap.
Football. the act or an instance of snapping the ball.
Informal. snapdragon (def. 1).
British. a packed lunch, as that carried by a worker or traveler.
fastening or closing with a click or snap, as a device fitted with a spring catch: a snap lock.
made, done, taken, etc., suddenly, offhand, or without warning: a snap judgment;a snap election called years ahead of schedule.
easy or simple.
in a brisk, sudden manner.
(an exclamation of surprise, wonder, pleasure, regret, disappointment, etc.): Oh snap! I forgot we had a test today!
snap to,
to come to attention: The troops snapped to when the colonel walked in.
to shape up: If you don't snap to and study, you'll flunk the course.
Idioms about snap
not give / care a snap of one's fingers for, to regard with indifference; treat lightly.: Also not give / care a snap .
snap one's fingers at. finger (def. 25).
snap out of, to free oneself from; recover from: It took him a long time to snap out of his grief.
snap / bite someone's head off. bite (def. 33).
Origin of snap
1Other words from snap
- snap·less, adjective
- snap·pa·ble, adjective
- snap·ping·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with snap
- schnapps, snaps
Words Nearby snap
Other definitions for SNAP (2 of 2)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: a federal program for low-income Americans that provides them with electronically deposited benefits to pay for food, as at grocery stores or markets.
Origin of SNAP
2- See also food stamp.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use snap in a sentence
They were snapped before the spacecraft officially began collecting science data.
Close-up of the sun reveals ‘campfires’ | Lisa Grossman | August 28, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThat proved useful in early 2019, when SubX forecasts foresaw, weeks before it happened, the severe cold snap that hit the United States in late January and early February.
Improved three-week weather forecasts could save lives from disaster | Alexandra Witze | August 27, 2020 | Science NewsPeople stuck at home have been snapping up them up while the number of the consoles produced has tumbled because of shuttered factories.
Gamers, get ready: Nintendo’s Switch should be available again soon. But maybe not for long | dzanemorris | August 26, 2020 | FortuneThe scientists used the Very Large Telescope in Chile to snap the photo.
A weird cousin of our solar system is caught on camera | Lisa Grossman | August 26, 2020 | Science News For StudentsHe trekked to a mountaintop in Wyoming with a special camera to snap polarized pictures of the corona just as the moon blocked the sun.
Check out the first-ever map of the solar corona’s magnetic field | Lisa Grossman | August 21, 2020 | Science News
There is just no way of selling this picture with an innocent defense like, “she just asked for a snap.”
Buckingham Palace Disputes Sex Allegations Against Prince ‘Randy Andy’ | Tom Sykes | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTFor days, the ruble has been falling and salaries shrinking; shoppers have rushed to snap up TV sets and washing machines.
After His Disastrous Annual Press Conference, Putin Needs A Hug | Anna Nemtsova | December 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAfter curing the elderly of their semi-suicidal depression, winning the White House must seem like a snap.
Ben Carson’s Bizarrely Serious, Seriously Bizarre Campaign Crew | Olivia Nuzzi | November 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThat Snapchat deceptively told its users that the sender would be notified if a recipient took a screenshot of a snap.
‘The Snappening’ Is Real: 90,000 Private Photos and 9,000 Hacked Snapchat Videos Leak Online | Marlow Stern | October 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt means to be all the things that the individuals he turns into storytellers on snap naturally are, in all their marginality.
Then he closed the spring with a snap, and she let him pass the chain over her hand once more.
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. WilliamsonYou know the fable about the dog who dropped his meat in the water, trying to snap at its reflection?
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. WilliamsonIt was the only thing I needed to snap my last tie with England and brace me for the struggle in America.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonThe only thing for you to do is to snap your fingers at everything, as we do out here, and see nothing in the future but success.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonHe gave to every syllable the value of a rap and certain words he terminated with an audible snap of his teeth.
Dope | Sax Rohmer
British Dictionary definitions for snap
/ (snæp) /
to break or cause to break suddenly, esp with a sharp sound
to make or cause to make a sudden sharp cracking sound
(intr) to give way or collapse suddenly, esp from strain
to move, close, etc, or cause to move, close, etc, with a sudden sharp sound
to move or cause to move in a sudden or abrupt way
(intr; often foll by at or up) to seize something suddenly or quickly
(when intr, often foll by at) to bite at (something) bringing the jaws rapidly together
to speak (words) sharply or abruptly
(intr) (of eyes) to flash or sparkle
to take a snapshot of (something)
(intr) hunting to fire a quick shot without taking deliberate aim
(tr) American football to put (the ball) into play by sending it back from the line of scrimmage to a teammate
snap one's fingers at informal
to dismiss with contempt
to defy
snap out of it informal to recover quickly, esp from depression, anger, or illness
the act of breaking suddenly or the sound produced by a sudden breakage
a sudden sharp sound, esp of bursting, popping, or cracking
a catch, clasp, or fastener that operates with a snapping sound
a sudden grab or bite
the sudden release of something such as elastic thread
a brisk movement of the thumb against one or more fingers
a thin crisp biscuit: ginger snaps
informal See snapshot
informal vigour, liveliness, or energy
informal a task or job that is easy or profitable to do
a short spell or period, esp of cold weather
British dialect food, esp a packed lunch taken to work
British a card game in which the word snap is called when two cards of equal value are turned up on the separate piles dealt by each player
American football the start of each play when the centre passes the ball back from the line of scrimmage to a teammate
(modifier) done on the spur of the moment, without consideration or warning: a snap decision
(modifier) closed or fastened with a snap
with a snap
cards the word called while playing snap
an exclamation used to draw attention to the similarity of two things
Origin of snap
1- See also snap up
Derived forms of snap
- snapless, adjective
- snappable, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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