snitch¹

[snich]

See more synonyms for snitch on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object) Informal.

to snatch or steal; pilfer.

Origin of snitch¹

First recorded in 1900–05; perhaps variant of snatch

snitch²

[snich]Informal.

verb (used without object)

to turn informer; tattle.

noun

Also called snitch·er. an informer.

Origin of snitch²

First recorded in 1775–85; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for snitch

Contemporary Examples

Too moderate and the more radical groups call you a snitch, jeopardizing your standing and authority at demonstrations.
De Blasio and the New York City Protesters Have No Blood on Their Hands
Jacob Siegel
December 22, 2014
The Prosecutor and the Snitch By Maurice Possley - The Marsall Project Did Texas execute an innocent man?
The Daily Beast's Best Longreads, Aug 10, 2014
August 10, 2014
To Connolly and Morris, Bulger was a TE, or top-echelon informant, the highest designation in the Bureau for a snitch.
‘You’re a F—cking Liar’: Whitey Bulger and the FBI’s Sordid History
T.J. English
July 1, 2013
If your main source is court docs and snitch statements, you have to understand most of that is not very credible.
The Real Bling Ring: Where Are They Now?
Tricia Romano
May 21, 2013
The goat tells the woman, “Ya better not snitch on a player” and “keep ya mouth shut.”
GM Is Racist, Pepsi Is Sexist & More in the Week in Offensive Ads (Video)
Kevin Fallon
May 2, 2013

Historical Examples

Snitch, to give information to the police, to turn approver.
The Slang Dictionary
John Camden Hotten
"Now, I'm not going to snitch on my mates," said McCarty decidedly.
The Boy Chums in the Florida Jungle
Wilmer M. Ely
The computers I love are being co-opted, used to spy on us, control us, snitch on us.
Little Brother
Cory Doctorow
A promise is a promise, especially to a small boy who scorns to "snitch."
Sheila of Big Wreck Cove
James A. Cooper
Will you promise not to snitch if I tell you how to stop it, even if you don't go there yourself?
The White Moll
Frank L. Packard

British Dictionary definitions for snitch

snitch

verb

(tr) to steal; take, esp in an underhand way
(intr) to act as an informer

noun

an informer; telltale
the nose

Derived Formssnitcher, noun

Word Origin

C17: of unknown origin

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 snitch

n.

"informer," 1785, probably from underworld slang meaning "the nose" (1700), which apparently developed from an earlier meaning "fillip on the nose" (1670s). Snitcher in same sense is from 1827.

v.

1803, "to inform," from snitch (n.). Meaning "to steal, pilfer" is attested from 1904, perhaps a variant of snatch (v.). Related: Snitched; snitching.

snitch.css-pdubzd{font-size:17px;vertical-align:super;}1

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}snitch1

snitch2

Origin of snitch2

Related Words

Examples from the Web for snitch

Contemporary Examples

Too moderate and the more radical groups call you a snitch, jeopardizing your standing and authority at demonstrations.

The Prosecutor and the Snitch By Maurice Possley - The Marsall Project Did Texas execute an innocent man?

To Connolly and Morris, Bulger was a TE, or top-echelon informant, the highest designation in the Bureau for a snitch.

If your main source is court docs and snitch statements, you have to understand most of that is not very credible.

The goat tells the woman, “Ya better not snitch on a player” and “keep ya mouth shut.”

Historical Examples

Snitch, to give information to the police, to turn approver.

"Now, I'm not going to snitch on my mates," said McCarty decidedly.

The computers I love are being co-opted, used to spy on us, control us, snitch on us.

A promise is a promise, especially to a small boy who scorns to "snitch."

Will you promise not to snitch if I tell you how to stop it, even if you don't go there yourself?