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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

snare en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /sniə/ New Zealand, cheer–chair merger
  • /sneɹ/ (Scotland)
  • /snɜː(ɹ)/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
  • (US) audio
  • /snɛə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /sneː/ (Australia)
  • /snɛ(ə)ɹ/ (General-American)
  • /sneə/ (New-Zealand) without the cheer–chair merger

Etymology

From Middle English snare, from Old English sneare (“snare, noose”), from Proto-West Germanic *snarhā, from Proto-Germanic *snarhǭ (“a sling; loop; noose”). Cognate with Old Norse snara. Also related to German Schnur and Dutch snaar, snoer.

Meanings

  1. A trap (especially one made from a loop of wire, string, or leather).
    • He felt a snare tightening around his throat; he gasped and threw a leg out of the bed, where it jerked for a second or two, thumping the steel frame, and died. 2013, Richard Flanagan, chapter 18, in The Narrow Road to the Deep North, New York: Knopf, published 2014, page 332:
    • He […] watched Beavis’s long-toothed mouth open and clap to like a rabbit snare. 1943, Graham Greene, The Ministry of Fear, London: Heinemann, published 1960, Book Three, Chapter One, pp. 196-197:
  2. A mental or psychological trap.
    • “[…] riches are a great snare.” 1864 August – 1866 January, [Elizabeth] Gaskell, Wives and Daughters. An Every-day Story. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1866, →OCLC:
    • […] and I had now liv’d two Years under these Uneasinesses, which indeed made my Life much less comfortable than it was before; as may well be imagin’d by any who know what it is to live in the constant Snare of the Fear of Man […] 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 193:
    • […] if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 23:33:
    • If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed, Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee: 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
    • They were devious war aims, and Allenby’s campaign was fought with a maximum of snare and subterfuge. 1978, Jan Morris, Farewell the Trumpets: An Imperial Retreat, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Part One, Chapter 9, p. 173:
  3. A loop of cord used in obstetric cases, to hold or to pull a fetus from the mother animal.
  4. A similar looped instrument formerly used to remove tumours etc.
  5. A set of stiff wires held under tension against the bottom head of a drum to create a rattling sound.
  6. A snare drum.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
snares Number=Plur lexicographic

Translations (147)

fa لاتو (trap) · fi ansa (mental trap) · oc tracanard (mental trap) · sv snara (trap) · ml കെണി (trap) · gd ribe (trap) · fi pikkurumpu (music: type of drum) · ta பொறி (trap) · hu pergődob (music: type of drum) · ro capcană (trap) · ka ხაფანგი (trap) · sc latu (trap) · ota قپان (trap) · ang grin (trap) · ky тузак (trap) · pt caixa chata (music: type of drum) · tyz cắp (trap) · grc παγίς (trap) · fi virvelirumpu (music: type of drum) · oc tenda (trap) · mi taeke (trap) · es lazo (trap) · mbb litag (trap) · la tenus (trap) · la fovea (mental trap) · khb ᦷᦢᧂᧉᦢᦱᧆ (trap) · ota طوزاق (trap) · ckb داو (trap) · fi virvelimatto (music: set of chains strung across the bottom of a drum) · got 𐍅𐍂𐌿𐌲𐌲𐍉 (trap) · arz فخ (trap) · ga dol (trap) · cs virbl (music: type of drum) · sq lak (trap) · rif trašša (trap) · ar شَرَكٌ (trap) · cs nástraha (trap) · cmn 陷阱 (trap) · ro cursă (trap) · ar مِصْيَدَةٌ (trap) · ru лову́шка (trap) · he פַּח (trap) · enm snare (trap) · pt caixa (music: type of drum) · it trappola (mental trap) · ro laț (trap) · bg уловка (mental trap) · sl zanka (trap) · khb ᦟᦸᧄ (trap) · hy ծուղակ (trap) · hu kelepce (trap) · tr tuzak (trap) · fr collet (trap) · cs mam (mental trap) · ota دام (trap) · oc tendèla (trap) · uk сильце́ (trap) · hu csapda (mental trap) · pl werbel (music: type of drum) · pt caixa de guerra (music: type of drum) · ba тоҙаҡ (trap) · it armonico (music: set of chains strung across the bottom of a drum) · es asechanza (mental trap) · sc lantu (trap) · nl klem (trap) · oc laç (trap) · cs léčka (trap) · cs oko (trap) · de Falle (trap) · fi ansalanka (trap) · oc trapèla (mental trap) · it laccio (trap) · pt tarola (music: type of drum) · sv militärtrumma (music: type of drum) · fa دام (trap) · cmn 圈套 (trap) · sc lassu (trap) · sc latzu (trap) · it richiamo (mental trap) · hy թակարդ (trap) · la transenna (trap) · oc trapèla (trap) · ga súil ribe (trap) · it trappola (trap) · grc βρόχος (trap) · oc sedon (trap) · gl ichó (trap) · es cepo (trap) · it laccio (music: set of chains strung across the bottom of a drum) · gd ribe (mental trap) · hy որոգայթ (trap) · es bordón (music: set of chains strung across the bottom of a drum) · mi toromāhanga (trap) · pl sidła (trap) · it timbro (music: set of chains strung across the bottom of a drum) · wa laesse (trap) · hu polipkacs (veterinary: obstetric loop) · pl sidło (trap) · nl strop (trap) · pl pułapka fm (trap) · ca llaç (trap) · kix vèutsīe (trap) · pt laço (trap) · it tentazione (mental trap) · ru сило́к (trap) · mi tāhei (trap) · pt armadilha (mental trap) · fr caisse claire (music: type of drum) · hu csapda (trap) · nl val (trap) · it insidia (mental trap) · ru лову́шка (mental trap) · fa پهند (trap) · es orzuelo (trap) · ga gaiste (trap) · enm snare (mental trap) · pt taró (music: type of drum) · fr piège (trap) · sv virveltrumma (music: type of drum) · es caja (music: type of drum) · wa bricole (trap) · nv beeʼódleehí (trap) · la laqueus (trap) · rup alatsu (trap) · it tamburo (music: type of drum) · ja(trap) · ru западня́ (mental trap) · rup alats (trap) · oc bagada (trap) · th กับ (trap) · eu kaxa (music: type of drum) · hu csapdahelyzet (mental trap) · hu fogó (veterinary: obstetric loop) · it tagliola (trap) · pt tarol (music: type of drum) · cy magl (trap) · pt caixa clara (music: type of drum) · de Schlinge (trap) · it rullante (music: type of drum) · hu kacs (veterinary: obstetric loop) · mi rore (trap) · ru западня́ (trap) · bg примка (trap) · ca llaç obstètric (veterinary: obstetric loop) · oc trapa (mental trap) · bg капан (trap) · cs klam (in the phrase "mam a klam") (mental trap)

snare en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /sniə/ New Zealand, cheer–chair merger
  • /sneɹ/ (Scotland)
  • /snɜː(ɹ)/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
  • (US) audio
  • /snɛə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /sneː/ (Australia)
  • /snɛ(ə)ɹ/ (General-American)
  • /sneə/ (New-Zealand) without the cheer–chair merger

Etymology

From Middle English snare, from Old English sneare (“snare, noose”), from Proto-West Germanic *snarhā, from Proto-Germanic *snarhǭ (“a sling; loop; noose”). Cognate with Old Norse snara. Also related to German Schnur and Dutch snaar, snoer.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To catch or hold, especially with a loop.
    • Instead, it aimed for a more important assurance: that if A.I. raises writers’ productivity or the quality of their output, guild members should snare an equitable share of the performance gains. And the W.G.A. got it. 2023 September 29, Adam Seth Litwin, “Want to Save Your Job From A.I.? Hollywood Screenwriters Just Showed You How.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
    • The mournful crocodile / With sorrow snares relenting passengers. c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
    • Lest that too heavenly form […] snare them. 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
  2. (figuratively, transitive) To ensnare.
  3. (intransitive, transitive, uncommon) To play (a snare drum, or a beat on or as if on a snare drum).
    • […] drummer snaring away on his little drum, tur-r-r-rump! tur-r-r-rump! tur-r-r-rump! r-r-rump, r-r-rump, r-r-rump! I love drums. 2021 November 9, Annie Pike Greenwood, We Sagebrush Folks, Rare Treasure Editions, →ISBN:
    • […] T-Ray snared the drum in the background. 2010 December 31, Laura Quimby, The Carnival of Lost Souls: A Handcuff Kid Novel, Abrams, →ISBN:
    • […] the slightest recollection of hearing the wind whistling through the cracks in the old house or the rain snaring its tat-a-tat on the rusty tin roof. 2007 April 11, M. J. Eberhart, Ten Million Steps: Nimblewill Nomad's Epic 10-Month Trek from the Florida Keys to Québec, Menasha Ridge Press, →ISBN, page 123:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
snares Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
snared Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
snared Tense=Past lexicographic
snaring Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Relateds

snare drum · snarelike · snarl · snareless · microsnare · unsnaren · snary · snare-picture · ensnare · insnare · unsnared

Translations (14)

bg впримчвам (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · cs lapit (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · pt enlaçar (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · sv snara (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · hu csapdába ejt (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · hu csapdával fog (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · mi toromāhanga (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · hu tőrbe csal (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · nl strikken (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · pt engodar (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · cs chytit do oka (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · it prendere al lazo (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · egy a-H-T24 (to catch or hold, especially with a loop) · mi rore (to catch or hold, especially with a loop)