the act of catching an object with the hands;"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 motion"
a spell of cold weather;"a cold snap in the middle of May"
tender green beans without strings that easily snap into sections
a crisp round cookie flavored with ginger
the noise produced by the rapid movement of a finger from the tip to the base of the thumb on the same hand;"servants appeared at the snap of his fingers"
a sudden sharp noise;"the crack of a whip" "he heard the cracking of the ice" "he can hear the snap of a twig"
a sudden breaking
the tendency of a body to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed;"the waistband had lost its snap"
an informal photograph; usually made with a small hand-held camera;"my snapshots haven"t been developed yet" "he tried to get unposed shots of his friends"
a fastener used on clothing; fastens with a snapping sound;"children can manage snaps better than buttons"
any undertaking that is easy to do;"marketing this product will be no picnic"
the act of snapping the fingers; movement of a finger from the tip to the base of the thumb on the same hand;"he gave his fingers a snap"
(American football) putting the ball in play by passing it (between the legs) to a back;"the quarterback fumbled the snap"
Verb:
utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone;"The sales clerk snapped a reply at the angry customer" "The guard snarled at us"
separate or cause to separate abruptly;"The rope snapped" "tear the paper"
break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension;"The pipe snapped"
move or strike with a noise;"he clicked on the light" "his arm was snapped forward"
close with a snapping motion;"The lock snapped shut"
make a sharp sound;"his fingers snapped"
move with a snapping sound;"bullets snapped past us"
to grasp hastily or eagerly;"Before I could stop him the dog snatched the ham bone"
put in play with a snap;"snap a football"
cause to make a snapping sound;"snap your fingers"
lose control of one"s emotions;"When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she lost it completely" "When her baby died, she snapped"
bring the jaws together;"he snapped indignantly"
record on photographic film;"I photographed the scene of the accident" "She snapped a picture of the President"
late 15c., "quick, sudden bite or cut," from Dutch or Low German snappen "to snap," probably related to Middle Low German or Middle Dutch snavel "bill, beak," from West Germanic *snu-, an imitative root forming words having to do with the nose (see snout).
As an adjective from 1790. Commonly used to indicate instantaneous action, as in snap judgment (1841). Sense of "quick movement" is first recorded 1630s; that of "something easily done" is 1877. Meaning "brief or sudden spell" of weather (usually cold) is from 1740. Meaning "catch or fastener that closes with a snapping sound" is from 1815. The card game name is attested from 1881, from a call used in the game. Meaning "a snap-shot" is from 1894. U.S. football sense is from 1912, earlier snap-back (1880), which also was a name for the center position. Snap, Crackle and Pop, cartoon characters associated with Kellogg breakfast cereal Rice Krispies, are from 1940.
snap (v.)
1520s, of animals, "to make a quick bite," from snap (n.). Meaning "to break suddenly or sharply" is first recorded c. 1600; the mental sense is from 1970s. Meaning "come into place with a snap" is from 1793. Meaning "take a photograph" is from 1890. U.S. football sense first recorded 1887. Related: Snapped; snapping. To snap the fingers is from 1670s. Phrase snap out of it recorded by 1907. Snapping turtle is attested from 1784. Snap-brim (adj.) in reference to a type of hat is from 1928.
