snack
- a small portion of food or drink or a light meal, especially one eaten between regular meals.
- a share or portion.
- Australian Slang. something easily done.
- to have a snack or light meal, especially between regular meals: They snacked on tea and cake.
- go snack/snacks, to share (profits or returns).
Origin of snack
Examples from the Web for snack
Contemporary Examples
Late former governors of NY, TX starred in a 1994 snack chip ad.
And the “Pond Pit” snack bar will serve fried tadpole rolls.
Or the World Series where you can take a snack break during the wind-up for every pitch.
I snack them in between [checkpoints] with some fish or beef fat, something to give them some quick energy.
If you muttered, “blasphemy” after reading the first tip about skipping a snack, then snack smart.
Historical Examples
They hastened up and the snack was set out on a patch of soft grass.
FruitfulnessEmile Zola
The cook will have a snack for you before you pull back to Oban.
The Three CommandersW.H.G. Kingston
And some sandwiches and pound cake for a snack for ourselves.
Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1902 to 1903Lucy Maud Montgomery
After a bite and a snack I went to bed, not to worry, but to sleep.
A Pirate of PartsRichard Neville
"When we were eating our snack," put in Willy, not to be left out.
Two Little ConfederatesThomas Nelson Page
snack
- a light quick meal eaten between or in place of main meals
- a sip or bite
- rare a share
- Australian informal a very easy task
- (intr) to eat a snack
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for snack
v.
c.1300, "to bite or snap" (of a dog), probably from Middle Dutch or Flemish snacken "to snatch, snap; chatter," which Watkins traces to a hypothetical Germanic imitative root *snu- forming words having to do with the nose (see snout). The meaning "have a mere bite or morsel, eat a light meal" is first attested 1807. Related: Snacked; snacking.
n.
c.1400, "a snatch or snap" (especially that of a dog), from snack (v.). Later "a snappish remark" (1550s); "a share, portion, part" (1680s; hence old expression go snacks "share, divide; have a share in"). Main modern meaning "a bite or morsel to eat hastily" is attested from 1757. Snack bar is attested from 1923. Commercial plural form snax attested from 1942 in the vending machine trade.