snack
Americannoun
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snacks
plural
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a small portion of food or drink or a light meal, especially one eaten between regular meals.
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a share or portion.
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Slang. a sexy and physically attractive person; hottie.
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Australian Slang. something easily done.
verb (used without object)
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snacks,
present (3rd person singular)
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snacked,
past participle, past
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snacking
present participle
idioms
noun
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a light quick meal eaten between or in place of main meals
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a sip or bite
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rare a share
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informal a very easy task
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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snacksimple
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snackssimple
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have snackedperfect
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has snackedperfect
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am snackingprogressive
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are snackingprogressive
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is snackingprogressive
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have been snackingperfect progressive
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has been snackingperfect progressive
Past
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snackedsimple
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had snackedperfect
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was snackingprogressive
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were snackingprogressive
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had been snackingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of snack
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb snacchen, snac(c)he, snak “(of a dog) to snap at, bite, seize”; Middle English noun snacche, snak(e); further origin uncertain; compare Middle Dutch snacken “(of a dog) to snap”: Norwegian dialect snaka “(of an animal) to snatch”
Explanation
A snack is a small serving of food between meals. Enjoy a healthy snack such as apples with peanut butter, or indulge in a bag of chips. After a huge breakfast, you might just want a light snack instead of lunch. You can use snack as a verb too: "After school, I like to snack on fruit and cookies and listen to music." Snack originally meant "snap or bite" in Middle English, usually in the context of a dog's bite. The noun was also used in the 17th century to mean "a portion or share," which led to the now-obsolete phrase "go snacks," meaning "share with someone."
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:
"That hedonic drive can override signals of fullness, making us want to snack or eat a dessert even though we're full."
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Betts says not having a nutritious or satiating evening meal can lead to a "crash" later, which sees people snack.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
The 39-year-old lives in Tanque Verde and travels throughout south-central Arizona, delivering soda and snack foods to major retailers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
Campbell’s snack sales have fallen for the past three fiscal years, on a comparable basis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
He put his school stuff in his bedroom, then went into the kitchen, made himself a snack, and watched TV.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
A group of conservative German MEPs are also seeking a specific carve-out for meat names in snacks and sauces in separate legislation, external currently making its way through the European Parliament.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
On Thursday, Environment Secretary Angela Eagle told a radio presenter he should "get a life" when he asked about the potential impact of the new rules on snacks, such as smoky bacon crisps.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Once Upon a Farm stock plunged after the Jennifer Garner-backed company detailed its recall of Tractor Wheels snacks.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
In North America, sales of the company’s salty snacks climbed 22%, boosted by its acquisition of popcorn brand LesserEvil, while its confectionery business posted a 1.6% increase.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The little kid who used to follow me around, beg me for puzzles, interrupt me at chess tournaments with healthy snacks.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
A hurdle: The Patriots schedule is considerably harder than it was last season, when it snacked on light appetizers through January and got to play the AFC championship game against a backup QB.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Research group Circana says that last year 48.8% of consumers snacked three or more times a day, up 2.7 percentage points over 2024.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 7, 2026
Guests snacked on canapés and hors d’oeuvres before proceeding upstairs for the main course.
From Slate ● Mar. 3, 2025
People snacked on chips and pan dulce and admired photo collages from Alatorre’s life and career pasted onto poster boards that also featured favorite Alatorre sayings: “Let me begin by beginning ...” “Órale.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2024
Out in the fields, where he weeded and harvested from August to October, he snacked on corn, cabbage, and other vegetables.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
It means it is very difficult to draw firm conclusions on whether snacking in late evening disrupts sleep, says Betts.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Research suggests about a third of people, external are snacking every night after their evening meal - for those aged 18-24, four in five are unable to resist.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
A late-night snacking episode can be a way to disconnect from the stress of daily life as a working parent, for example.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
I’m like the Thai, who eat eight meals a day, snacking throughout the day.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
No doubt some critter snacking on a late supper.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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