snell

1 of 2

adjective

ˈsnel 

1

chiefly Scotland : quick, acute

2

chiefly Scotland : keen, piercing

… a snell wind smote us …

—The Scotsman

3

chiefly Scotland : grievous, severe

snell

2 of 2

noun

: a short line (as of gut) by which a fishhook is attached to a longer line

Examples of snell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The rain had come quick, driven by a snell, cold wind that cut through old, rattling windowpanes and down to bone. — Literary Hub, 9 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German snel bold, agile

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1846, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for snell

• bel
• belle
• cel
• cell
• dell
• dwell
• el
• ell
• fel
• fell
• gel
• gell