snag

[snag]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR snag ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

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

any sharp or rough projection.

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

any obstacle or impediment.

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

verb (used with object), snagged, snag·ging.

to run or catch up on a snag.

to damage by so doing.

to obstruct or impede, as a snag does: He snagged all my efforts.

to grab; seize: to snag the last piece of pie.

verb (used without object), snagged, snag·ging.

to become entangled with some obstacle or hindrance.

to become tangled: This line snags every time I cast.

(of a boat) to strike a snag.

to form a snag.

Origin of snag

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

Related formssnag·like, adjectiveun·snagged, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for snagged

rip, tear, nail, hole

Examples from the Web for snagged

Contemporary Examples of snagged

He snagged the best actor award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival for In the Mood for Love.
Tony Leung on His Journey to Kung Fu Spirituality in ‘The Grandmaster’
Jean Trinh
August 24, 2013
In reality, Lochte snagged two gold, two silver and one bronze.
Ryan Lochte: Sex, Swimming & More Crazy Things From Reality TV Trailer
Anna Klassen
March 26, 2013
In 2004 Pete Cabrinha snagged a “bomb,” but realized it only after watching the video.
Top Five Biggest Surfer Waves (Video)
The Daily Beast
November 14, 2011
Bremer also snagged an award from the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists in June.
Leading the Anti-Bachmann Army
David A. Graham
July 19, 2011
Outside, Londoner Bryan Butler, who snagged a copy, said he had read the paper every Sunday for 30 years.
Brits Bid ‘World’ Goodbye
Sam Bungey
July 10, 2011

Historical Examples of snagged

"And see how you've snagged your clothes," said Irene reprovingly.
Tabitha's Vacation
Ruth Alberta Brown
When the fisherman attempted to pull in his line he found that his hook was snagged.
Days in the Open
Lathan A. Crandall
He snapped at her bait, snagged on the hook, then shook himself free.
Witches Cove
Roy J. Snell
It was about twenty feet from him when he snagged it, and it was still twenty feet away.
Bill Bruce on Forest Patrol
Henry Harley Arnold
Maybe he'd snagged his suit and blown up like a soap bubble.
First Man
Clyde Brown

British Dictionary definitions for snagged

snag

noun

a difficulty or disadvantagethe snag is that I have nothing suitable to wear

a sharp protuberance, such as a tree stump

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

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

mainly US and Canadian a tree stump in a riverbed that is dangerous to navigation

US and Canadian a standing dead tree, esp one used as a perch by an eagle

(plural) Australian slang sausages

verb snags, snagging or snagged

(tr) to hinder or impede

(tr) to tear or catch (fabric)

(intr) to develop a snag

(intr) mainly US and Canadian (of a boat) to strike or be damaged by a snag

(tr) mainly US and Canadian to clear (a stretch of water) of snags

(tr) US to seize (an opportunity, benefit, etc)

Derived Formssnaglike, adjective

Word Origin for snag

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for snagged

snag

1570s, "stump of a tree, branch," of Scandinavian origin, cf. Old Norse snagi "clothes peg," snaga "a kind of ax," snag-hyrndr "snag-cornered, with sharp points." The ground sense seems to be "a sharp protuberance." The meaning "sharp or jagged projection" is first recorded 1580s; especially "tree or branch in water and partly near the surface, so as to be dangerous to navigation" (1807). The figurative meaning "obstacle, impediment" is from 1829.

snag

"be caught on an impediment," 1807, from snag (n.). Originally in American English, often in reference to steamboats caught on branches and stumps lodged in riverbeds. Of fabric, from 1967. The transitive meaning "to catch, steal, pick up" is U.S. colloquial, attested from 1895. Related: Snagged; snagging.

Idioms and Phrases with snagged

snag

see hit a snag.