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Synonyms

snippet

American  
[snip-it] / ˈsnɪp ɪt /

noun

  • snippets
    plural
  1. a small piece snipped off; a small bit, scrap, or fragment.

    an anthology of snippets.

  2. Informal. a small or insignificant person.


snippet British  
/ ˈsnɪpɪt /

noun

  1. a small scrap or fragment

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


Etymology

Origin of snippet

First recorded in 1655–65; snip + -et


Explanation

A snippet is a tiny piece. You might only have time to read a snippet of "Moby Dick" before your early English class — just enough to know it's a book about a whale. While a snippet can be a literal fragment of something, like a snippet of hair clipped off the end of your dog's tail, the word is often used to talk about less physical bits. You may get a snippet of information by watching TV news with the sound turned off, or end your writing workshop with just a snippet of an idea for your screenplay. It comes from snip, with its Low German root snippen, "to snip or shred."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing snippet

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In between these interviews are glimpses of the occasional Israeli news media snippet and at one point an archival reminder of the circumstances of Tel Aviv’s founding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

As for the newly unearthed song snippet of John’s, “Little Girl” will intrigue only the most dedicated appreciators of Beatles flotsam.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

The mRNA vaccine and the Oxford vaccine both deliver a snippet of genetic code into the body.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

“We taxed the rich,” he said in the clip, which references a snippet of the Griffin video.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

Radar played a snippet of one of his songs—a high- pitched scratchy voice sang about unions.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

Come prepared for a mix of retro live-action, animated and puppetry snippets while munching on churros or popcorn.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

On the latest episode of ICYMI, host Kate Lindsay introduces listeners to the phenomenon of vertical microdramas, which are 90-second snippets of content chock-full of some of the most absurd plotlines you’ve ever seen.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026

But the rare snippets of dialogue that underscore these ideas are cringemaking.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Their identities have not been revealed, but snippets of the video with their faces visible continue to circulate online.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Adam played me snippets of bands he liked, a Swedish pop trio that sounded monotonous but then some Icelandic art band that was quite beautiful.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

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