snipe

== English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /snaɪp/ Rhymes: -aɪp === Etymology 1 === From Middle English snipe, snype (a type of bird), from Old Norse snípa, as in mýrisnípa (“moor snipe”). Akin to Norwegian snipe. The verb originated in the 1770s among soldiers in British India where a hunter skilled enough to kill the elusive snipe was dubbed a "sniper". The term sniper was first attested in 1824 in the sense of the word "sharpshooter". ==== Noun ==== snipe (plural snipes or snipe) (Plural "snipe" is used only for the bird.) Any of various limicoline game birds of the genera Gallinago, Lymnocryptes and Coenocorypha in the family Scolopacidae, having a long, slender, nearly straight beak. A fool; a blockhead. A shot fired from a concealed place. (naval slang) A member of the engineering department on a ship. (ice hockey slang) A goal. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== snipe (third-person singular simple present snipes, present participle sniping, simple past and past participle sniped) (intransitive) To hunt snipe. (intransitive) To shoot at individuals from a concealed place. (intransitive, by extension) To shoot with a sniper rifle. (transitive) To watch a timed online auction and place a winning bid against (the current high bidder) at the last possible moment. 2003, "Weird Al" Yankovic, eBay (song) I am the type who is liable to snipe youWith two seconds left to go, whoa. (transitive) To nose (a log) to make it drag or slip easily in skidding. (ice hockey slang) To score a goal. To move the ball quickly in a different direction. ===== Derived terms ===== sniper snipingly stream snipe ===== Translations ===== ==== See also ==== snipe hunt === Etymology 2 === Probably from snip or a cognate ==== Noun ==== snipe (plural snipes) (slang) A cigarette butt. An end of a log remaining after timber has been cut away. Synonym: snipe-end An animated promotional logo during a television show. A strip of copy announcing some late breaking news or item of interest, typically placed in a print advertisement in such a way that it stands out from the ad. A bottle of wine measuring 0.1875 liters, one fourth the volume of a standard bottle; a quarter bottle or piccolo. ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 3 === Either from sneap or a figurative development from Etymology 1. ==== Noun ==== snipe (plural snipes) A sharp, clever answer; sarcasm. A note or sticker attached to an existing poster to provide further information (e.g. an event is sold out, political criticism, etc.). ==== Verb ==== snipe (third-person singular simple present snipes, present participle sniping, simple past and past participle sniped) (intransitive) To make malicious, underhand remarks or attacks. Synonym: snark (transitive) To attach a note or sticker to (an existing poster) to provide further information, political criticism, etc. === Further reading === William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “snipe”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === References === === Anagrams === spine, Ipsen, peins, penis, epsin, pines, Pines, Espin == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Etymology === From Old Norse mýrisnípa (“moor snipe”). Akin to English snipe. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /²sniːpə/ === Noun === snipe f (definite singular snipa, indefinite plural sniper, definite plural snipene) any of various birds of the family Scolopacidae, the snipes and sandpipers === References === “snipe” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. === Anagrams === penis, pines, pinse, pisne, sneip, snipe