active; lively.
a snell lad.
witty.
a snell remark.
severe.
snell weather.
An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; origin uncertain
before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old High German snel ( German schnell ) quick, Old Norse snjallr excellent
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One benefit of the snell knot is that it aligns the fishing line or leader with the hook shank, resulting in a straight, solid set.
From Time Magazine Archive
With a little practice, you can learn to snell a hook quickly.
From Time Magazine Archive
But he favors the snell used by live-bait fishermen when he ties monofilament or braided lines to offset worm hooks.
From Time Magazine Archive
The snell knot is also useful for tying tandem-hook rigs: simply tie the trailing hook to a long tag end coming off the rear of the lead hook.
From Time Magazine Archive
Their beds were of the holly-wood, Their combs of the tortoiseshell, Their mirrors clear as wintry flood, Frozen dark and snell.
From Songs of Childhood by Hecht, Anthony
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
