noun : one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste
Snobs weren't always the unbearable boors they are now. When the word snob was first in use in the early 18th century it referred to a cobbler (and we are quite certain that cobblers have always been a kindly sort). Over time, the word took on meanings directly related to class, first referring to one who was not an aristocrat. By the middle of the 19th century it referred to fawning types who try to ingratiate themselves to their perceived superiors, and by the beginning of the 20th it referred to the sufferers of superiority complexes we know today.
MORE TO EXPLORE: Why Were Shoemakers 'Snobs'?