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• snell
  snell

  noun

  a short piece of nylon, gut, or the like, by which a fishhook is attached to a line.
• Snell
  Snell

  noun

  Peter (George), 1938–2019, New Zealand distance runner.

snell

¹ American  

[snel] / snɛl /

noun

1. a short piece of nylon, gut, or the like, by which a fishhook is attached to a line.

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snell ² American  

[snel] / snɛl /

adjective

Chiefly Scot.

1. active; lively.

   a snell lad.

2. witty.

   a snell remark.

3. severe.

   snell weather.

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Snell ³ American  

[snel] / snɛl /

noun

1. Peter (George), 1938–2019, New Zealand distance runner.

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Snell ¹ British  

/ snɛl /

noun

1. 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

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snell ² British  

/ snɛl /

adjective

1. biting; bitter; sharp

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Etymology

Origin of snell¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; origin uncertain

Origin of snell²

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old High German snel ( German schnell ) quick, Old Norse snjallr excellent

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snell Snell

Thread the leader through the mantle and to the bottom of the squid, then snell a 9/0 to 10/0 Mustad Super Marlin 7761 BLN hook to the leader.

From Time Magazine Archive

Note: for the snell to be tied properly, the loop must pass around the hook bend and the tag end with each wrap.

From Time Magazine Archive

Simply snell a 7/0 circle hook to 18 inches of 50-pound fluorocarbon leader tied to a two- to four-ounce trolling sinker.

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

I am on the wrang side o' three and thirty, and I would snap my fingers at it, were it blawing its breath in my face as snell as a drift on an open moor!

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume III by Various

Dodgers starter Blake Snell, who held the Rockies to one run and two hits in six innings, dominated the first two innings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Getting back on track, Snell navigated around a pair of singles in the fourth inning, before retiring the Rockies in order in the fifth and sixth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

And fellow two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell returned from the injured list to throw six innings of one-run ball Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The next inning, Snell worked around a leadoff hit — a blooper into shallow right field that speedy Tyler Tolbert stretched into a double — and stolen base to strand Tolbert at third.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

‘The Mall’s where they all go skatin’ in New York,” Sandra said very sociably to Mrs. Snell.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger