snapper

American  

[snap-er] / ˈsnæp ər /

noun

• snapper,
  plural
• snappers
  plural,  plural

1. any of several large marine food fishes of the family Lutjanidae.

2. any of various other fishes, as the bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix.

3. snapping turtle.

4. Informal. a person in charge of a group of workers.

5. a tuft or knot of cotton, horsehair, hemp, etc., at the tip of a whip's lash; cracker; popper.

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snapper British  

/ ˈsnæpə /

noun

1. any large sharp-toothed percoid food fish of the family Lutjanidae of warm and tropical coastal regions See also red snapper

2. a sparid food fish, Chrysophrys auratus, of Australia and New Zealand, that has a pinkish body covered with blue spots

3. another name for bluefish snapping turtle

4. a person or thing that snaps

5. informal a person who takes snapshots; photographer

6. informal a baby

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• snapper
  plural
• snappers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of snapper

First recorded in 1525–35; snap + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snapper snappers

Jonathan Sisler fishes for tuna and snapper 100 miles off the coast of Florida, and he wants to get to his spots in a hurry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

As dawn breaks over Ghana's Atlantic coast, artisanal fishing boats return to shore with last night's catch -- baskets of snapper, crabs, rays and a distinct-looking fish locals call "esene".

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Then she released a song called Mad Woman, whose video required her to hit Heated Rivalry actor Hudson Williams square in the face with a red snapper.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

Chicago-based John’s Food and Wine, which serves a $52 red snapper and an $83 steak, charges a 20% service fee across all orders, divided up among hourly staff.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026

It must have been a snapper that came up in the night when he heard the noise that awakened him; she must have come then and laid the eggs.

From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen

We've been speaking to snappers about the art of the "one shot" - and also asking showbiz experts why we're all so fascinated by the snatched backseat photo.

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

The decision was curious at the time — rarely are long snappers drafted, let alone traded up for, and Cheeseman wasn’t even the top long snapper on most analysts’ draft boards.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 18, 2023

However, both of Seattle’s long snappers — Tyler Ott, who spent the year on injured reserve with a shoulder injury — and Carson Tinker, are free agents.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 18, 2023

We found a market in a Cuban neighborhood in Miami, but my pathetic Spanishlessness wasn’t a problem; I just pointed to one of the shiny, clear-eyed yellowtail snappers nestled in ice.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 11, 2023

You have to be super careful because snappers can bite through a human finger, no problem.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

Related Words

• tortoise