snip

1 of 2

noun

ˈsnip 

1

a

: a small piece that is snipped off

also : fragment, bit

b

: a cut or notch made by snipping

c

: an act or sound of snipping

2

: a white or light mark

especially : a white spot between the nostrils of a horse

3

: a presumptuous or impertinent person

especially : an impertinent or saucy girl

4

British : bargain, buy

snip

2 of 2

verb

snipped; snipping

transitive verb

: to cut or cut off with or as if with shears or scissors

snipped the stray threads

specifically : to clip suddenly or by bits

intransitive verb

: to make a short quick cut with or as if with shears or scissors

snipper noun

Synonyms of snip

Noun

• speck
• snippet
• bit
• shred
• scrap
• patch
• fleck
• particle
• mouthful
• grain
• sliver
• crumb
• molecule
• drop

Verb

• shave
• cut
• clip
• trim

Examples of snip in a Sentence

Noun

cleared out the snips of paper that had been clogging the machine

that antique urn that we bought at London's Portobello Road Market was a real snip

Verb

He snipped some fresh herbs from plants on the windowsill.

snipping pictures out of magazines

She snipped at the hanging strings.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Gould said police found a hydrogen peroxide bottle, tarps, shears, snips, a hatchet, and a hacksaw — the last of which was also visibly stained brownish red in a photo shown by the prosecution. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025

Also found in the dumpster was a sheer, hammer, wire snips, a hatchet, and a hacksaw with red or brown stains. —Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025

Verb

But the cast and director confirm the moment was snipped purely for narrative reasons, and not because the shot felt too explicit for theaters. —Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026

Using clean scissors, snip a section of vine about 4 to 6 inches long with several sets of leaves. —Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from or akin to Dutch & Low German snip; akin to Middle High German snipfen to snap the fingers

First Known Use

Noun

1558, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1586, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for snip

• blip
• chip
• clip
• dip
• drip
• flip
• grip
• grippe
• hip
• ip
• kip
• lip

Kids Definition

snip

1 of 2 noun

ˈsnip 

1

: a small piece that is snipped off : fragment

2

: an act or sound of snipping

3

: a rude person

snip

2 of 2 verb

snipped; snipping

: to cut or cut off with or as if with shears or scissors

especially : to clip suddenly or by bits