snippet

American  

[snip-it] / ˈsnɪp ɪt /

noun

• snippets
  plural

1. a small piece snipped off; a small bit, scrap, or fragment.

   an anthology of snippets.

2. Informal. a small or insignificant person.

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snippet British  

/ ˈsnɪpɪt /

noun

1. a small scrap or fragment

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• snippetiness
  noun
• snippety
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• snippets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of snippet

First recorded in 1655–65; snip + -et

Explanation

A snippet is a tiny piece. You might only have time to read a snippet of "Moby Dick" before your early English class — just enough to know it's a book about a whale. While a snippet can be a literal fragment of something, like a snippet of hair clipped off the end of your dog's tail, the word is often used to talk about less physical bits. You may get a snippet of information by watching TV news with the sound turned off, or end your writing workshop with just a snippet of an idea for your screenplay. It comes from snip, with its Low German root snippen, "to snip or shred."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snippet snippets

In Covid, the letter being delivered was a snippet of genetic code from the Covid virus.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

The theme song from “Titanic” wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card, but the employee running the game played a snippet and joked, “That’s all we’re allowed to pay on a cruise ship for safety reasons.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

The mRNA vaccine and the Oxford vaccine both deliver a snippet of genetic code into the body.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

And when another mayoral candidate, City Councilmember Nithya Raman, posted Trump’s praise of Pratt on social media, he responded with a snippet of himself making a dismissive face during a debate.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

She always kept her rattan shades closed, but since she’d left, her mom or somebody had pulled them up, so I could see a little snippet of blue wall and white ceiling.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

It’s a collection of songs pieced together from perfect-seeming snippets heard while passing open doors.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

But the rare snippets of dialogue that underscore these ideas are cringemaking.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Every day, Ziame posts covers of popular hits, snippets of his own original music, and dance videos set to trending tracks on social media.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

We’re forced to hear endless snippets of it, too, although the full lyrics are saved for the end when we discover that one of songwriters clumsily shoved in the word “albatross.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

I catch in- timidating snippets of the conversations floating around the auditorium.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

Related Words

• bit
• fragment
• morsel
• smidgen