snipe

1 of 2

noun

ˈsnīp 

plural snipes

1

or plural snipe : any of various usually slender-billed birds of the sandpiper family

especially : any of several game birds (especially genus Gallinago) especially of marshy areas

2

: a contemptible person

snipe

2 of 2

verb

sniped; sniping

intransitive verb

1

: to shoot at exposed individuals (as of an enemy's forces) from a usually concealed point of vantage

2

: to aim a carping or snide attack

sniper noun

Examples of snipe in a Sentence

Verb

Enemy fighters sniped at them from vacant buildings.

One of the senators sniped, “What does he think this is, a monarchy?”.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Knies opened the scoring after Edmundson hand-delivered the puck to Max Domi, who zoomed ahead and floated a saucer pass to Knies for a snipe from between the circles. —Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026

Then, with six minutes and 25 seconds left to go in the second period, Taylor Heise scored a snipe shot 50 feet away from the Goldeneyes’ goal to tie it all up at 4-4. —Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026

Verb

At age 36, Stamkos can still snipe. —Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026

Sophia Morin sniped seven goals, while Ciara Hendricks scored five goals as Mashpee defeated Bourne, 17-8. —Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse snīpa snipe; akin to Old High German snepfa snipe

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for snipe

• gripe
• hype
• lipe
• pipe
• ripe
• sipe
• skype
• stipe
• stripe
• strype
• swipe
• tripe

Kids Definition

snipe

1 of 2 noun

ˈsnīp 

plural snipes or snipe

: any of several birds that have a long slender bill, live mostly in marshy areas, and are related to the sandpipers

snipe

2 of 2 verb

sniped; sniping

1

: to shoot at exposed individuals of an enemy's forces from a usually concealed point

2

: to attack with unfair or cutting remarks

sniper noun