Dictionary

snapper en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈsnæpɚ/ (General-American)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle Dutch snappen Dutch snappenbor. Low German snappenbor. English snap Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English snapper From snap + -er.

Meanings

1. One who, or that which, snaps.
   • the snapper of a whip
   • a snapper-up of bargains
2. (Australia, New-Zealand) Any of approximately 100 different species of fish. ▸ The fish Chrysophrys auratus, especially an adult of the species.
   • Heigh-ho ye trawler men come on, forget the snapper and the prawn, 1971, Harry Robertson, “Ballina Whalers” (lyrics)
3. (US) Any of approximately 100 different species of fish. ▸ Any of the family Lutjanidae of percoid fishes, especially the red snapper.
4. (US) Any of approximately 100 different species of fish. ▸ A small bluefish.
5. (Ireland, slang) A (human) baby.
   • I've known him since he was a little snapper. 2004, Intelligent Systems, translated by Nintendo of America, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Nintendo, GameCube, level/area: Rogueport:
6. The player who snaps the ball to start the play.
7. (US) Small, paper-wrapped item containing a minute quantity of explosive composition coated on small bits of sand, which explodes noisily when thrown onto a hard surface.
8. (slang) One who takes snaps; a photographer.
   • The police snapper was on his tiptoes, angling for a vertical shot of the body. 2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 22:
9. (US, informal) The snapping turtle.
10. The green woodpecker, or yaffle (Picus viridis).
11. A snap beetle (family Elateridae).
12. (historical) A telegraphic device with a flexible metal tongue for producing clicks like those of the sounder.
13. (obsolete) A percussive musical instrument consisting of a pair of items to be snapped together; castanet or bones.
14. (US, colloquial) A string bean.
15. (slang) The vulva.
    • At thirty-nine, her snapper was snapping at practically every man that appeared halfway decent and had a pulse. 2004, Mary B. Morrison, Never Again Once More:
    • Then, get this, when we finished, she grabbed what looked like one of her husband's T-shirts, wiped her snapper, threw it into the back, […] 2010, Phil Torcivia, Nice Meeting You:
16. (slang) A punchline.
    • The end should always be a “snapper.” The punchline of a monologue is extremely important. Find a good one. 2011, Judy Kerr, Acting is Everything:
    • In fact, he began the comic by coming up with the final panel, which he called “the snapper,” and worked backward. 2018, Michelle Ann Abate, Funny Girls, page 55:
    • I don't want a pause before the snapper. 1976, Larry Wilde, How the Great Comedy Writers Create Laughter, page 101:
17. (US, historical) A supporter of Senator Hill's premature scheduling of the Democratic National Committee convention of 1892.

Forms

Antonyms

anti-snapper

Deriveds

lane snapper · snapperhead · long snapper · rafter snapper · snapper biscuit · black snapper · red snapper · mackerel snapper · pink snapper · Colorado snapper · mutton snapper · snipper-snapper · mangrove snapper · snapper-upper · mahogany snapper · finger-snapper · whippersnapper · cubera snapper

Hyponyms

red bream (Chrysophrys auratus) · squire (Chrysophrys auratus) · cockney (Chrysophrys auratus)

snapper en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

From Middle English snaperen, likely formed with the frequentative suffix -eren (Modern English -er). For the stem compare Norwegian Nynorsk snåva (“to stumble”), Swedish snäva (“to stumble”), obsolete German schnappen (“to totter, to limp”), Middle High German snaben, Middle Low German snaven (“to stumble”).

Meanings

1. (Scotland) A stumble, a trip.
2. (Scotland) An error, a blunder, especially a moral slip-up.

Forms

snapper en · VERB · etymology 2

Etymology

From Middle English snaperen, likely formed with the frequentative suffix -eren (Modern English -er). For the stem compare Norwegian Nynorsk snåva (“to stumble”), Swedish snäva (“to stumble”), obsolete German schnappen (“to totter, to limp”), Middle High German snaben, Middle Low German snaven (“to stumble”).

Meanings

1. To stumble, to trip.
2. (figuratively) To fall into error; to make a mistake, and especially to stumble morally.
   • A curate in specyall To snappar and to fall Into this opyn cryme c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 65, lines 141–143:

Forms