v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Snipped p. pr. & vb. n. Snipping. ] [ D. snippen; akin to G. schnippen. ] To cut off the nip or neb of, or to cut off at once with shears or scissors; to clip off suddenly; to nip; hence, to break off; to snatch away. [ 1913 Webster ]

Curbed and snipped in my younger years by fear of my parents from those vicious excrescences to which that age was subject. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

The captain seldom ordered anything out of the ship's stores . . . but I snipped some of it for my own share. De Foe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A single cut, as with shears or scissors; a clip. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A small shred; a bit cut off. Wiseman. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A share; a snack. [ Obs. ] L'Estrange [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A tailor. [ Slang ] Nares. C. Kingsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Small hand shears for cutting sheet metal. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To shoot at (detached men of an enemy's force) at long range, esp. when not in action. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. To nose (a log) to make it drag or slip easily in skidding. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ OE. snipe; akin to D. snep, snip, LG. sneppe, snippe, G. schnepfe, Icel. snīpa (in comp.), Dan. sneppe, Sw. snäppa a sanpiper, and possibly to E. snap. See Snap, Snaffle. ] 1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline game birds of the family Scolopacidae, having a long, slender, nearly straight beak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The common, or whole, snipe (Gallinago cœlestis) and the great, or double, snipe (Gallinago major), are the most important European species. The Wilson's snipe (Gallinago delicata) (sometimes erroneously called English snipe) and the gray snipe, or dowitcher (Macrohamphus griseus), are well-known American species. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fool; a blockhead. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Sniped p. pr. & vb. n. Sniping ] 1. To shoot or hunt snipe. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. To shoot at detached men of an enemy's forces at long range, esp. when not in action; -- often with at. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

snipe at, to aim petty or snide criticisms at (a person) in his absence. [ PJC ]

n. 1. A plane for cutting deep grooves in moldings. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A bolt by which the body of a cart is fastened to the axle. [ Local, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) The bellows fish. (b) A long, slender deep-sea fish (Nemichthys scolopaceus) with a slender beak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Snipe. ] (Zool.) The common snipe. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who snips. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A small, insignificant fellow. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]