snag

[snag]

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.

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

/ 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

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)

Other Word Forms

• snaglike adjective
• unsnagged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of snag¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of snag¹

C16: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse snaghyrndr sharp-pointed, Norwegian snage spike, Icelandic snagi peg

Idioms and Phrases

see hit a snag.

Example Sentences

But he also performed stuff from last year’s “Chromakopia,” which just snagged a nomination for album of the year at February’s Grammy Awards.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I snag an armful of graphic T-shirts and stuff them into the luggage.

Read more on Literature

He’ll only snag something in the neighborhood of that payday if he meets a specified production threshold and all those projects succeed.

Read more on Salon

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith snagged a pass with one hand near the sideline, drawing audible amazement from the crowd of 104,168.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Kim Kardashian’s quest to become a lawyer hit a snag with her announcement Saturday that she failed the California bar exam.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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