snell
1[ snel ]
/ snɛl /
|
noun
a short piece of nylon, gut, or the like, by which a fishhook is attached to a line.
Nearby words
sneezewood, sneezewort, sneezy, sneffels, snefru, snell, snell's law, snellen chart, snellen test, snellen's test types, sng
Origin of snell
1An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; origin uncertain
Definition for snell (2 of 3)
snell
2[ snel ]
/ snɛl /
adjective Chiefly Scot.
active; lively: a snell lad.
witty: a snell remark.
severe: snell weather.
Origin of snell
2before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old High German snel (German schnell) quick, Old Norse snjallr excellent
Definition for snell (3 of 3)
Snell
[ snel ]
/ snɛl /
noun
Peter (George),born 1938, New Zealand distance runner.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for snell
British Dictionary definitions for snell (1 of 2)
snell
/ (snɛl) /
adjective
Scot biting; bitter; sharp
Word Origin for snell
Old English snel quick, active
British Dictionary definitions for snell (2 of 2)
Snell
/ (snɛl) /
noun
Sir Peter (George). born 1938, New Zealand athlete; winner of three Olympic gold medals: for the 800 metres in 1960, and again in 1964, when he also won gold for the 1500 metres
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 snell
snell
Old English snel "quick, active," cognate with Old Saxon, Dutch, Old High German snel, German schnell "swift, quick," Old Danish snel "swift, fleet," Old Norse snjallr "eloquent, able, bold." It survived as a surname and in Scottish and northern English; used by Burns and Scott. Italian snello is from Germanic.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for snell
Snell
[ snĕl ]
American geneticist. He shared a 1980 Nobel Prize for discoveries concerning cell structure that enhanced understanding of the immunological system, resulting in higher success rates in organ transplantation.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.