English Reference
Noun

snip

n.
C1 Advanced US /ˈsnɪp/ UK /snˈɪp/ snip Internet

n.a small cut or a short piece of something. You often hear this word when people talk about cutting hair or trimming plants.

n.a small cut or a short piece of something, such as a lock of hair or a branch. Often used in the context of grooming or gardening.


SIMPLE

He took a small snip of the green leaves.

CONTEXTUAL

The barber gave her a quick snip to the back of her hair to make it look more modern.

COMPLEX

A single snip of the wire was enough to disconnect the entire circuit, causing the machine to stop immediately.


From Dutch snippen (“to snip; shred”) or Low German snippen (“to snip; shred”), of imitative origin. Compare snap.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated