snook

¹ American  

[snook, snook] / snuk, snʊk /

noun

• snook,
  plural
• snooks
  plural

1. any basslike fish of the genus Centropomus, especially C. undecimalis, inhabiting waters off Florida and the West Indies and south to Brazil, valued as food and game.

2. any of several related marine fishes.

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snook ² American  

[snook, snook] / snʊk, snuk /

noun

1. a gesture of defiance, disrespect, or derision.

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idioms

1. cock a / one's snook, to thumb the nose: Also cock a snoot.

   a painter who cocks a snook at traditional techniques.

snook ¹ British  

/ snuːk /

noun

1. 1. to make a rude gesture by putting one thumb to the nose with the fingers of the hand outstretched

   2. to show contempt by being insulting or offensive

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snook ² British  

/ snuːk /

noun

1. any of several large game fishes of the genus Centropomus, esp C. undecimalis of tropical American marine and fresh waters: family Centropomidae (robalos)

2. the sea pike Australuzza novaehollandiae

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• snook
  plural
• snooks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of snook¹

First recorded in 1690–1700, snook is from the Dutch word snoek

Origin of snook²

First recorded in 1875–80; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snook snooks

Setting out into the Gulf of Mexico in threes and fours, fishermen returned with buckets of tarpon and long, streaked snook.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2023

From Indigenous fisheries to commercial operations, snook have been celebrated as a high-quality river fish since the time of Mayan rule, making river fisheries in Mexico important for food, Pease said.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 28, 2023

Fish vary in their omega-3 levels and generally the fishier they taste the more omega-3 fats they have — such as tuna, salmon, deep sea perch, trevally, mackeral and snook.

From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2023

It was as if they were cocking a snook at the new president.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2022

So we were really amped to know that Dad would soon be back in his skiff, guiding for bonefish and tarpon and snook.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

In times yet to come, British football administrators would infamously cock their haughty snooks at the World Cup, the European Cup, and the European Championship.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 20, 2012

Last week, although nothing so serious was in sight, Great Britain cocked two more snooks across the Atlantic.

From Time Magazine Archive

Their chief fish are bonitos, snooks, cavallies, breams, and mullets; and they have abundance of sea-tortoises; and the island has many harbours, creeks, and rivers.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10 Arranged in systematic order: Forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time. by Robert Kerr

The last I saw of him he was sailing off quite comfortable, cocking snooks at the whole lot.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 103, October 29, 1892 by Various

Dampier, `Voyage,' vol. i: "The chiefest fish are bonetas, snooks, cavallys."

From Austral English A dictionary of Australasian words, phrases and usages with those aboriginal-Australian and Maori words which have become incorporated in the language, and the commoner scientific words that have had their origin in Australasia by Edward Ellis Morris

Related Words

• ambush
• crawl
• creep
• evade
• hide
• slink
• slip
• slither
• smuggle
• steal