Meaning of snap in English

1. Pronunciation

   /snæp/

   US accent

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   UK accent

   How to pronounce snap in British English, in context ▾
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1. Verb

   snap

   Etymology

   late 15th century (in the senses ‘make a sudden audible bite’ and ‘quick sharp biting sound’): probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German snappen‘seize’; partly imitative

   Definitions

   1. utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone

   Examples

   • « The sales clerky snapped a reply at the angry customer »
   • « The guard snarled at us »
2. 2. separate or cause to separate abruptly

   Examples

   • « The rope snapped »
   • « tear the paper »
3. 3. break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension

   Examples

   • « The rope snapped »
4. 4. move or strike with a noise

   Examples

   • « he clicked on the light »
   • « his arm was snapped forward »
5. 5. snap close with a sound

   Examples

   • « The lock snapped shut »
6. 6. make a sharp sound

   Examples

   • « his fingers snapped »
7. 7. move with a snapping sound

   Examples

   • « bullets snapped past us »
8. 8. to grasp hastily or eagerly

   Examples

   • « Before I could stop him the dog snatched the ham bone »
9. 9. put in play with a snap

   Examples

   • « snap a football »
10. 10. cause to make a snapping sound

    Examples

    • « snap your fingers »
11. 11. lose control of one's emotions

    Examples

    • « When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she lost it completely »
    • « When her baby died, she snapped »
12. 12. record on photographic film

    Examples

    • « I photographed the scene of the accident »
    • « She snapped a picture of the President »

13. Noun

    snap

    Definitions

    1. the act of catching an object with the hands

    Examples

    • « Mays made the catch with his back to the plate »
    • « he made a grab for the ball before it landed »
    • « Martin's snatch at the bridle failed and the horse raced away »
    • « the infielder's snap and throw was a single »
14. 2. a spell of cold weather

    Examples

    • « a cold snap in the middle of May »
15. 3. tender green beans without strings that easily snap into sections
16. 4. a crisp round cookie flavored with ginger
17. 5. the noise produced by the rapid movement of a finger from the tip to the base of the thumb on the same hand

    Examples

    • « servants appeared at the snap of his fingers »
18. 6. a sudden sharp noise

    Examples

    • « the crack of a whip »
    • « he heard the cracking of the ice »
    • « he can hear the snap of a twig »
19. 7. a sudden breaking
20. 8. the tendency of a body to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed

    Examples

    • « the waistband had lost its snap »

    Antonyms

    • inelasticity
21. 9. an informal photograph

    Examples

    • « usually made with a small hand-held camera »
    • « my snapshots haven't been developed yet »
    • « he tried to get unposed shots of his friends »
22. 10. a fastener used on clothing

    Examples

    • « fastens with a snapping sound »
    • « children can manage snaps better than buttons »
23. 11. any undertaking that is easy to do

    Examples

    • « marketing this product will be no picnic »
24. 12. the act of snapping the fingers

    Examples

    • « movement of a finger from the tip to the base of the thumb on the same hand »
    • « he gave his fingers a snap »
25. 13. (American football) putting the ball in play by passing it (between the legs) to a back

    Examples

    • « the quarterback fumbled the snap »