Adjacent Words

Snare definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SNARE, n.
1. An instrument for catching animals, particularly fowls, by the leg. It consists of a cord or string with slip-knots, in which the leg is entangled. A snare is not a net.
2. Any thing by which one is entangled and brought into troble. I Cor. 7. A fool's lip are the snare of his soul. Proverbs 18.
SNARE, v.t. To catch with a snare; to ensnare; to entangle; to bring into unexpected evil, perplexity or danger. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Psalms 9.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares; "the exam was full of trap questions"; "it was all a snare and delusion" [syn: trap, snare]
2: a small drum with two heads and a snare stretched across the lower head [syn: snare drum, snare, side drum]
3: a surgical instrument consisting of wire hoop that can be drawn tight around the base of polyps or small tumors to sever them; used especially in body cavities
4: strings stretched across the lower head of a snare drum; they make a rattling sound when the drum is hit
5: a trap for birds or small mammals; often has a slip noose [syn: snare, gin, noose] v
1: catch in or as if in a trap; "The men trap foxes" [syn: trap, entrap, snare, ensnare, trammel]
2: entice and trap; "The car salesman had snared three potential customers" [syn: hook, snare]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sneare, probably from Old Norse snara; akin to Old High German snuor cord and perhaps to Greek nark? numbness Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) a contrivance often consisting of a noose for entangling birds or mammals (2) trap, gin b. (1) something by which one is entangled, involved in difficulties, or impeded (2) something deceptively attractive 2. [probably from Dutch snaar, literally, cord; akin to Old High German snuor] a. one of the catgut strings or metal spirals of a snare drum b. snare drum 3. a surgical instrument consisting usually of a wire loop constricted by a mechanism in the handle and used for removing tissue masses (as tonsils) II. transitive verb (snared; snaring) Date: 14th century 1. a. to capture by or as if by use of a snare b. to win or attain by artful or skillful maneuvers 2. to entangle or hold as if in a snare <any object that snared his eye — Current Biography> Synonyms: see catch • snarer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a trap for catching birds or animals, esp. with a noose of wire or cord. 2 a thing that acts as a temptation. 3 a device for tempting an enemy etc. to expose himself or herself to danger, failure, loss, capture, defeat, etc. 4 (in sing. or pl.) Mus. twisted strings of gut, hide, or wire stretched across the lower head of a side-drum to produce a rattling sound. 5 (in full snare drum) a drum fitted with snares. 6 Surgery a wire loop for extracting polyps etc. --v.tr. 1 catch (a bird etc.) in a snare. 2 ensnare; lure or trap (a person) with a snare. Derivatives: snarer n. (also in comb.). Etymology: OE sneare f. ON snara: senses 4 & 5 prob. f. MLG or MDu.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snare Snare, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snared; p. pr. & vb. n. Snaring.] To catch with a snare; to insnare; to entangle; hence, to bring into unexpected evil, perplexity, or danger. Lest that too heavenly form . . . snare them. --Milton. The mournful crocodile With sorrow snares relenting passengers. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snare Snare, n. [AS. sneara cord, a string; akin to D. snoer, G. schnur, OHG. snour a cord, snarahha a noose, Dan. snare, Sw. & Icel. snara, Goth. sn?rj? a basket; and probably also to E. needle. See Needle, and cf. Snarl to entangle.] 1. A contrivance, often consisting of a noose of cord, or the like, by which a bird or other animal may be entangled and caught; a trap; a gin. 2. Hence, anything by which one is entangled and brought into trouble. If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed, Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee. --Shak. 3. The gut or string stretched across the lower head of a drum. 4. (Med.) An instrument, consisting usually of a wireloop or noose, for removing tumors, etc., by avulsion. Snare drum, the smaller common military drum, as distinguished from the bass drum; -- so called because (in order to render it more resonant) it has stretched across its lower head a catgut string or strings.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(snares, snaring, snared) 1. A snare is a trap for catching birds or small animals. It consists of a loop of wire or rope which pulls tight around the animal. = trap N-COUNT 2. If you describe a situation as a snare, you mean that it is a trap from which it is difficult to escape. (FORMAL) Given data which are free from bias there are further snares to avoid in statistical work... = trap N-COUNT 3. If someone snares an animal, they catch it using a snare. He'd snared a rabbit earlier in the day. VERB: V n

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The expression (Amos 3:5), "Shall one take up a snare from the earth?" etc. (Authorized Version), ought to be, as in the Revised Version, "Shall a snare spring up from the ground?" etc. (See GIN.)

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

snar (pach; pagis, but brochos, in 1Co 7:35): Over half a dozen Hebrew words are used to indicate different methods of taking birds and animals, of which the snare (pach) is mentioned oftener than any other. It was a noose of hair for small birds, of wire for larger birds or smaller animals. The snares were set in a favorable location and grain scattered to attract the attention of feathered creatures. They accepted the bribe of good feeding and walked into the snare, not suspecting danger. For this reason the snare became particularly applicable in describing a tempting bribe offered by men to lead their fellows into trouble, and the list of references is a long one, all of the same nature. See Ex 10:7; 1Sa 18:21; 28:9; Ps 11:6; 18:5, "snares of death"; used symbolically of anything that may kill: 91:3; 124:7; 140:5; 141:9; Pr 7:23; 13:14; 18:7; 20:25; 22:25; 29:25; Ec 9:12. But this is a people robbed and plundered; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison-houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore" (Isa 41:22). Here it is specified that the snare was in a hole so covered as to conceal it. Jer 18:22 clearly indicates that the digging of a pit to take prey was customary, and also the hiding of the snare for the feet. North American Indians in setting a snare usually figure on catching the bird around the neck. Jer 50:24, "I have laid a snare for thee"; Ho 9:8, "A fowler's snare is in all his ways"; Am 3:5 seems to indicate that the snare was set for the feet; Lu 21:34, "But take heed to yourselves, lest haply .... that day come on you suddenly as a snare"; Ro 11:9, "Let their table be made a snare, and a trap"; 1Co 7:35, "not that I may cast a snare upon you"; 1Ti 3:7, "the snare of the devil"; also 6:9 "But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition."

See GIN; NET; TRAP.

Gene Stratton-Porter

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Gin, noose, net, trap, springe, toil, catch, wile. II. v. a. Entrap, entangle, catch, ensnare.

Moby Thesaurus

abstract, allure, allurement, and, annex, appropriate, bag, bait, bait the hook, baited trap, birdlime, bola, bongo drum, boost, borrow, capture, catch, catch out, catch up, charm, chicane, chicanery, cobweb, come-on, conga, cop, crib, deception, decoy, decoy duck, defraud, dragnet, drawcard, drawing card, drum, drumhead, drumskin, drumstick, embezzle, embrangle, endearment, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarement, ensnarl, entangle, enticement, entoil, entrap, entrapment, enweb, extort, filch, fishhook, fly, foul, gill net, gin, ground bait, harpoon, hook, hook in, inveigle, inveiglement, involve, jazz stick, jig, kettle, kettledrum, land, lariat, lasso, lift, lime, lure, make off with, membranophone, mesh, meshes, nail, net, nip, noose, palm, pilfer, pinch, plug, poach, pound net, purloin, purse seine, rope, run away with, rustle, sack, scrounge, seduce, seducement, seine, seize, shoplift, side drum, snag, snare drum, snarl, snatch, sniggle, snitch, spear, spinner, spread the toils, springe, squid, steal, swindle, swipe, tabor, taboret, tabret, take, tam-tam, tambourine, tangle, tangle up with, tempt, temptation, tenor drum, thieve, timbrel, timpani, toils, tom-tom, trammel, trap, trawl, trip, troll-drum, tymp stick, tympan, tympanon, tympanum, walk off with, war drum, wind, wobbler