Part 521

Snift (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Snifted; p. pr. & vb. n. Snifting.] [From Sniff.] 1. To snort. [Obs.] "Resentment expressed by snifting." Johnson.

2. To sniff; to snuff; to smell.

It now appears that they were still snifing and hankering after their old quarters.

Landor.

Snift, n. 1. A moment. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

2. Slight snow; sleet. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Snift"ing, a. & n. from Snift.

Snifting valve, a small valve opening into the atmosphere from the cylinder or condenser of a steam engine, to allow the escape of air when the piston makes a stroke; -- so called from the noise made by its action.

Snig (?), v. t. [See Snick a small cut.] To chop off; to cut. [Prov. Eng.]

Snig, v. i. [See Sneak.] To sneak. [Prov. Eng.]

{ Snig, Snigg, } n. [Cf. Sneak.] (Zoöl.) A small eel. [Prov. Eng.]

Snig"ger (?), v. i. See Snicker. Thackeray.

Snig"ger, n. See Snicker. Dickens.

Snig"gle (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sniggled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sniggling(?).] [See Snig a kind of eel.] To fish for eels by thrusting the baited hook into their holes or hiding places. Walton.

Snig"gle, v. t. To catch, as an eel, by sniggling; hence, to hook; to insnare. Beau. & Fl.

Snip (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snipped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Snipping.] [D. snippen; akin to G. schnippen.] To cut off the nip or neb of, or to cut off at once with shears or scissors; to clip off suddenly; to nip; hence, to break off; to snatch away.

Curbed and snipped in my younger years by fear of my parents from those vicious excrescences to which that age was subject.

Fuller.

The captain seldom ordered anything out of the ship's stores . . . but I snipped some of it for my own share.

De Foe.

Snip (?), n. 1. A single cut, as with shears or scissors; a clip. Shak.

2. A small shred; a bit cut off. Wiseman.

3. A share; a snack. [Obs.] L'Estrange

4. A tailor. [Slang] Nares. C. Kingsley.

5. Small hand shears for cutting sheet metal.

Snipe (?), n. [OE. snipe; akin to D. snep, snip, LG. sneppe, snippe, G. schnepfe, Icel. snpa (in comp.), Dan. sneppe, Sw. snäppa a sanpiper, and possibly to E. snap. See Snap, Snaffle.] 1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline game birds of the family Scolopacidæ, having a long, slender, nearly straight beak.

The common, or whole, snipe (Gallinago cœlestis) and the great, or double, snipe (G. major), are the most important European species. The Wilson's snipe (G. delicata) (sometimes erroneously called English snipe) and the gray snipe, or dowitcher (Macrohamphus griseus), are well- known American species.

2. A fool; a blockhead. [R.] Shak.