snack

1 of 2

noun

: a light meal : food eaten between regular meals
also : food suitable for snacking

snack

2 of 2

verb

snacked; snacking; snacks

intransitive verb

: to eat a snack

Examples of snack in a Sentence

Noun He had a snack of chips and dip. I didn't have time for lunch so I just grabbed a quick snack. peanuts, potato chips, and other snack foods Verb She tries not to snack between meals. I'll just snack on an apple if I'm hungry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
These recipes use the last of your turkey, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes to make tasty dinners, desserts, snacks, and even breakfasts. 01 Turkey Dinner Shepherd's Pie View Recipe This Thanksgiving leftover casserole will definitely further your mission to clean out your fridge. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Nov. 2023 Members donated toiletries, toys, puzzles, games, books, snacks, water bottles and more to fill the Welcome Bags (backpacks). Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Nov. 2023 Hip-hop and soul play from the main stage, while local restaurants sell snacks. Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023 Despite a plethora of snacks and drinks and college basketball blaring on the big screen, supporters of both the five-eighths-cent and three-eighths-cent sales and use tax proposals sponsored by Go Forward Pine Bluff had no victory to celebrate Tuesday night in their election night headquarters. I.c. Murrell, arkansasonline.com, 15 Nov. 2023 Delightful decorations, seasonal snacks and drinks, and cheerful holiday spirit can now be found across Disney World’s theme parks, resort hotels, and Disney Springs. Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 15 Nov. 2023 Wine shops are breaking rules and becoming relaxed spots to hang out and sip and maybe even get a snack or a meal from a food truck. Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023 Get The Recipe 23 of 50 Cheddar Cheese Straws This age-old snack is a perennial favorite appetizer and an excellent hostess gift to boot. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 Nov. 2023 After eating her snack, Lulu seemed to lose interest in Monday Night Football and let the former athletes continue their NFL commentary. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 7 Nov. 2023
Verb
Weighing up to 530 pounds and measuring up to 10 feet from snout to tail, Caspian tigers were one of the biggest felines in the world, hunting for hours, day after day, in search of the perfect boar or deer to snack on. Discover Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023 The wine flowed all night and the group snacked on small plates of caviar, braised short ribs with celery root purée, crispy parmesan potatoes with bordelaise aioli and duck confit with root vegetable hash plus a massive charcuterie board. Emily Strohm, Peoplemag, 5 Nov. 2023 Many of us have personal bowls of candy at our desks for everyone to snack on. Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 2 Nov. 2023 Give the kids something to snack on besides candy bars and Halloween sugar cookies, and their parents will thank you. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2023 This Large Festive Bowl Is Ideal For The Holidays The holiday season and snacking just go together so well. Kat Romero, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2023 To snack, or not to snack? American Diabetes Association. Lindsey Desoto, Health, 26 Sep. 2023 Do the men and women who are purportedly here to solve the world’s great challenges really need to snack on lobster tail bites and saffron cocktails before retreating to the city’s private dining rooms? David Gelles, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023 Another option is to skip dinner and simply snack throughout the night, like at an EPCOT festival. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'snack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English snak bite, from snaken to bite, perhaps from Middle Dutch snacken to snap at — more at snatch

First Known Use

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1807, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of snack was in 1757

Dictionary Entries Near snack

Cite this Entry

“Snack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snack. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

snack

noun
ˈsnak
: a light meal : lunch

More from Merriam-Webster on snack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!