snag

American  

[snag] / snæg /

noun

1. a tree or part of a tree held fast in the bottom of a river, lake, etc., and forming an impediment or danger to navigation.

2. a short, projecting stump, as of a branch broken or cut off.

3. any sharp or rough projection.

4. a jagged hole, tear, pull, or run in a fabric, as caused by catching on a sharp projection.

5. any obstacle or impediment.

6. a stump of a tooth or a projecting tooth; snaggletooth.

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verb (used with object)

snagged, snagging

1. to run or catch up on a snag.

2. to damage by so doing.

3. to obstruct or impede, as a snag does.

   He snagged all my efforts.

4. to grab; seize.

   to snag the last piece of pie.

verb (used without object)

snagged, snagging

1. to become entangled with some obstacle or hindrance.

2. to become tangled.

   This line snags every time I cast.

3. (of a boat) to strike a snag.

4. to form a snag.

snag British  

/ snæɡ /

noun

1. a difficulty or disadvantage

   the snag is that I have nothing suitable to wear

2. a sharp protuberance, such as a tree stump

3. a small loop or hole in a fabric caused by a sharp object

4. engineering a projection that brings to a stop a sliding or rotating component

5. a tree stump in a riverbed that is dangerous to navigation

6. a standing dead tree, esp one used as a perch by an eagle

7. slang (plural) sausages

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verb

1. (tr) to hinder or impede

2. (tr) to tear or catch (fabric)

3. (intr) to develop a snag

4. (intr) (of a boat) to strike or be damaged by a snag

5. (tr) to clear (a stretch of water) of snags

6. (tr) to seize (an opportunity, benefit, etc)

snag Idioms  

1. see hit a snag.

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Other Word Forms

• snaglike adjective
• unsnagged adjective

Etymology

Origin of snag

First recorded in 1570–80, snag is from the Old Norse word snagi point, projection

Example Sentences

Work to replace water pipes in Osaka, a city of 2.8 million residents, has hit a snag as the actual cost exceeded the planned budget, according to local media.

From Barron's

This year, participating in her fifth Olympic Games, she snagged her first gold medal.

From Salon

Staff are flocking to Morgan’s for lunches and happy hours, and people outside the mothership have had to work their connections to try to snag a table.

From The Wall Street Journal

She snagged a pen out of the middle of a stack of computer games and dodged Jonah’s hands when he tried to pull the pen away from her.

From Literature

Nim remembered the scene in Mountain Madness where the hero was snagged by the rope around his waist as he climbed down a cliff.

From Literature

Related Words

• barrier
• bug
• crunch
• difficulty
• disadvantage
• drawback
• glitch
• hitch
• holdup
• hurdle
• impediment
• inconvenience
• obstacle
• stumbling block