Adjacent Words

Snipe definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SNIPE, n.
1. A bird tha frequents the banks of rivers and the borders of fens, distinguished by the length of its bill; the scolopax gallinago.
2. A fool; a blockhead.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: Old or New World straight-billed game bird of the sandpiper family; of marshy areas; similar to the woodcocks
2: a gunshot from a concealed location v
1: hunt or shoot snipe
2: aim and shoot with great precision [syn: sharpshoot, snipe]
3: attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker" [syn: attack, round, assail, lash out, snipe, assault]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural snipes) Etymology: Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse sn?pa snipe; akin to Old High German snepfa snipe Date: 14th century 1. or plural snipe any of various usually slender-billed birds of the sandpiper family; especially any of several game birds (especially genus Gallinago) especially of marshy areas 2. a contemptible person II. intransitive verb (sniped; sniping) Date: 1832 1. to shoot at exposed individuals (as of an enemy's forces) from a usually concealed point of vantage 2. to aim a carping or snide attack • sniper noun

Britannica Concise

Any of about 20 species of birds (family Scolopacidae) that frequent wet meadows and marshes in temperate and warm regions worldwide. They are short-legged and chunky, with brown, black, and white stripes and bars. The wings are pointed and angular. The long, flexible bill is used to probe mud for worms. The common snipe (Gallinago, or Capella, gallinago) is about 12 in. (30 cm) long, incl. the bill.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. (pl. same or snipes) any of various wading birds, esp. of the genus Gallinago, with a long straight bill and frequenting marshes. --v. 1 intr. fire shots from hiding usu. at long range. 2 tr. kill by sniping. 3 intr. (foll. by at) make a sly critical attack. 4 intr. go snipe-shooting. Phrases and idioms: snipe eel any eel of the family Nemichthyidae, having a long slender snout. snipe fish any marine fish of the family Macrorhamphosidae, with a long slender snout. Derivatives: sniper n. Etymology: ME, prob. f. Scand.: cf. Icel. m|risnípa, & MDu., MLG snippe, OHG snepfa

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Willet Wil"let, n. (Zo["o]l.) A large North American snipe (Symphemia semipalmata); -- called also pill-willet, will-willet, semipalmated tattler, or snipe, duck snipe, and stone curlew. Carolina willet, the Hudsonian godwit.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snipe Snipe, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sniped; p. pr. & vb. n. Sniping.] 1. To shoot or hunt snipe. 2. To shoot at detached men of an enemy's forces at long range, esp. when not in action; -- often with at.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snipe Snipe, v. t. 1. To shoot at (detached men of an enemy's force) at long range, esp. when not in action. 2. To nose (a log) to make it drag or slip easily in skidding.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snipe Snipe, n. [OE. snipe; akin to D. snep, snip, LG. sneppe, snippe, G. schnepfe, Icel. sn[=i]pa (in comp.), Dan. sneppe, Sw. sn["a]ppa a sanpiper, and possibly to E. snap. See Snap, Snaffle.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline game birds of the family Scolopacid[ae], having a long, slender, nearly straight beak. Note: The common, or whole, snipe (Gallinago c[oe]lestis) and the great, or double, snipe (G. major), are the most important European species. The Wilson's snipe (G. delicata) (sometimes erroneously called English snipe) and the gray snipe, or dowitcher (Macrohamphus griseus), are well-known American species. 2. A fool; a blockhead. [R.] --Shak. Half snipe, the dunlin; the jacksnipe. Jack snipe. See Jacksnipe. Quail snipe. See under Quail. Robin snipe, the knot. Sea snipe. See in the Vocabulary. Shore snipe, any sandpiper. Snipe hawk, the marsh harrier. [Prov. Eng.] Stone snipe, the tattler. Summer snipe, the dunlin; the green and the common European sandpipers. Winter snipe. See Rock snipe, under Rock. Woodcock snipe, the great snipe.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prairie Prai"rie, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They abound throughout the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies and the Rocky mountains. From the forests and the prairies, From the great lakes of the northland. --Longfellow. 2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called natural meadow. Prairie chicken (Zo["o]l.), any American grouse of the genus Tympanuchus, especially T. Americanus (formerly T. cupido), which inhabits the prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the sharp-tailed grouse. Prairie clover (Bot.), any plant of the leguminous genus Petalostemon, having small rosy or white flowers in dense terminal heads or spikes. Several species occur in the prairies of the United States. Prairie dock (Bot.), a coarse composite plant (Silphium terebinthaceum) with large rough leaves and yellow flowers, found in the Western prairies. Prairie dog (Zo["o]l.), a small American rodent (Cynomys Ludovicianus) allied to the marmots. It inhabits the plains west of the Mississippi. The prairie dogs burrow in the ground in large warrens, and have a sharp bark like that of a dog. Called also prairie marmot. Prairie grouse. Same as Prairie chicken, above. Prairie hare (Zo["o]l.), a large long-eared Western hare (Lepus campestris). See Jack rabbit, under 2d Jack. Prairie hawk, Prairie falcon (Zo["o]l.), a falcon of Western North America (Falco Mexicanus). The upper parts are brown. The tail has transverse bands of white; the under parts, longitudinal streaks and spots of brown. Prairie hen. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Prairie chicken, above. Prairie itch (Med.), an affection of the skin attended with intense itching, which is observed in the Northern and Western United States; -- also called swamp itch, winter itch. Prairie marmot. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Prairie dog, above. Prairie mole (Zo["o]l.), a large American mole (Scalops argentatus), native of the Western prairies. Prairie pigeon, plover, or snipe (Zo["o]l.), the upland plover. See Plover, n., 2. Prairie rattlesnake (Zo["o]l.), the massasauga. Prairie snake (Zo["o]l.), a large harmless American snake (Masticophis flavigularis). It is pale yellow, tinged with brown above. Prairie squirrel (Zo["o]l.), any American ground squirrel of the genus Spermophilus, inhabiting prairies; -- called also gopher. Prairie turnip (Bot.), the edible turnip-shaped farinaceous root of a leguminous plant (Psoralea esculenta) of the Upper Missouri region; also, the plant itself. Called also pomme blanche, and pomme de prairie. Prairie warbler (Zo["o]l.), a bright-colored American warbler (Dendroica discolor). The back is olive yellow, with a group of reddish spots in the middle; the under parts and the parts around the eyes are bright yellow; the sides of the throat and spots along the sides, black; three outer tail feathers partly white. Prairie wolf. (Zo["o]l.) See Coyote.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(snipes, sniping, sniped) 1. If someone snipes at you, they criticize you. The Spanish media were still sniping at the British press yesterday. VERB: V at n • sniping This leaves him vulnerable to sniping from within his own party. 2. To snipe at someone means to shoot at them from a hidden position. Gunmen have repeatedly sniped at US Army positions... A member of the security forces was killed in a sniping incident. VERB: V at n, V-ing

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Fool, blockhead, simpleton, dolt, dunce, dullard, sot.

Moby Thesaurus

aim at, attack, barrage, blast, blitz, bombard, cannon, cannonade, carp at, charge, cock, commence firing, criticize, deride, detonate, discharge, drop, eject, enfilade, fell, fire, fire a volley, fire at, fire off, fire upon, fusillade, gun, gun for, hit, knock, let fly, let off, load, mortar, open fire, open up on, pan, pelt, pepper, pick off, pistol, plug, pop at, pot, potshoot, potshot, prime, rake, rap, riddle, shell, shoot, shoot at, shoot down, slam, snipe at, strafe, strike, take a potshot, take aim at, torpedo, zero in on