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

Noun

• atom
• bit
• crumb
• dribble
• fleck
• flyspeck
• grain
• granule
• molecule
• morsel
• mote
• nubbin
• nugget
• particle
• patch
• scrap
• scruple
• snippet
• speck
• tittle

Verb

• bob
• clip
• crop
• cut
• cut back
• dock
• lop (off)
• nip
• pare
• poll
• prune
• shave
• shear
• 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

Cut off faded peony flowers with clean snips once or twice a week during the blooming season. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 May 2025

After enjoying the beauty, remove the flower heads from the tulips with sharp, clean garden snips as soon as the petals drop. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2025

Verb

To avoid disturbing the roots of the remaining plants, snip off the competing seedlings rather than pulling them out of the ground. —Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025

Anne Hathaway dazzled in the jeweler’s Cosmic Vault Necklace, featuring a 123-carat sapphire — prices on request, snipped the jeweler’s reps. —Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 11 May 2025

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