snack

American  

[snak] / snæk /

noun

1. a small portion of food or drink or a light meal, especially one eaten between regular meals.

2. a share or portion.

3. Slang. a sexy and physically attractive person; hottie.

4. Australian Slang. something easily done.

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verb (used without object)

1. to have a snack or light meal, especially between regular meals.

   They snacked on tea and cake.

idioms

1. go snack / snacks, to share profits or returns.

snack British  

/ snæk /

noun

1. a light quick meal eaten between or in place of main meals

2. a sip or bite

3. rare a share

4. informal a very easy task

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verb

1. (intr) to eat a snack

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”

Example Sentences

Think of it this way: If you snack on a bag of donuts, then you’re unlikely to reach for an apple or a handful of almonds, and you may even skip a nutritionally balanced meal.

From MarketWatch

Officials worked late nights on their Golden Plan, fueled by snacks of sesame bread and mango.

From The Wall Street Journal

The bird was spotted flying over Banbury with the savoury snack when Mark Hopkins took the pictures from his back garden in Ruscote.

From BBC

In Taiwan, convenience stores are no longer just places to buy snacks.

From Barron's

The easiest way I find to do that is by cooking most of my meals and snacking on things like fruit and nuts.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• lunch
• morsel
• refreshment
• tea