ENGLISH
REFERENCE

snag

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈsnæɡ// UK //snˈæɡ// snag Archaic Dialect Informal Slang

n. a small, unexpected problem or difficulty that stops you from finishing something easily. It can also mean a sharp part of something that catches and tears your clothes.

n. an unexpected or hidden obstacle or drawback; also refers to a sharp or jagged projection that catches on fabric. Often used to describe minor complications in a plan.


SIMPLE

We hit a snag with the travel plans this morning.

CONTEXTUAL

The contract was ready to be signed until a legal snag regarding the property boundaries delayed the process.

COMPLEX

While the initial software rollout appeared successful, the development team soon encountered a technical snag that prevented users from syncing their data across multiple mobile devices.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From earlier snag (“stump or branch of a tree”), from Middle English snagge, snage, from Old Norse snagi (“clothes peg”) (compare Old Norse snag-hyrndr (“snag-horned, having jagged corners”)), perhaps ultimately from a derivative of Proto-Germanic snakk-, snēgg, variations of *snakaną (“to crawl, creep, wind about”). Compare Norwegian snag, snage (“protrusion; projecting point”), Icelandic snagi (“peg”). Also see Dutch snoek (“pike”).

Etymology 2

The Australian National Dictionary Centre suggests that snag as slang for "sausage" most likely derives from the earlier British slang for "light meal", although it makes no comment on how it came to be specifically applied to sausages.Meanings and origins of Australian words and idioms The word's use in football slang originates as a shortening of "sausage roll", rhyming slang for "goal", to sausage, and hence, by synonymy, snag.

Usage

Commonly used with the verbs 'hit', 'encounter', or 'run into'.

Idioms1 entry

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