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snipe

(snīp)

1. pl. snipe or snipes Any of various long-billed shorebirds of the family Scolopacidae, especially the widely distributed species Gallinago gallinago.

2. A shot, especially a gunshot, from a concealed place.

intr.v. sniped, snip·ing, snipes

1. To shoot at individuals from a concealed place.

2. To shoot snipe.

3. To make malicious, underhand remarks or attacks.

[Middle English, probably from Old Norse -snīpa (as in mȳrisnīpa, marsh snipe).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

snipe

(snaɪp)

n, pl snipe or snipes

1. (Animals) any of various birds of the genus Gallinago (or Capella) and related genera, such as G. gallinago (common or Wilson's snipe), of marshes and river banks, having a long straight bill: family Scolopacidae (sandpipers, etc), order Charadriiformes

2. (Animals) any of various similar related birds, such as certain sandpipers and curlews

3. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) a shot, esp a gunshot, fired from a place of concealment

4. (Military) (when: intr, often foll by at) to attack (a person or persons) with a rifle from a place of concealment

5. (often foll by: at) to criticize adversely a person or persons from a position of security

6. (Hunting) (intr) to hunt or shoot snipe

[C14: from Old Norse snīpa; related to Old High German snepfa Middle Dutch snippe]

ˈsnipeˌlike adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

snipe

(snaɪp)

n., pl. snipes, (esp. collectively) snipe for 1,2; n.

1. any of several long-billed sandpipers of the genera Gallinago and Limnocryptes, inhabiting marshy areas, as G. gallinago of Eurasia and North America.

2. a shot from a hidden position.

v.i.

3. to shoot or hunt snipe.

4. to shoot at individuals, esp. enemy soldiers, from a concealed or distant position.

5. to attack a person or a person's work with petulant or snide criticism, esp. anonymously or from a safe distance.

[1275–1325; Middle English snype (n.) < Old Norse -snīpa (in mȳrisnīpa moor snipe)]

snipe

Past participle: sniped
Gerund: sniping

Imperative
snipe
snipe

Present
I snipe
you snipe
he/she/it snipes
we snipe
you snipe
they snipe

Preterite
I sniped
you sniped
he/she/it sniped
we sniped
you sniped
they sniped

Present Continuous
I am sniping
you are sniping
he/she/it is sniping
we are sniping
you are sniping
they are sniping

Present Perfect
I have sniped
you have sniped
he/she/it has sniped
we have sniped
you have sniped
they have sniped

Past Continuous
I was sniping
you were sniping
he/she/it was sniping
we were sniping
you were sniping
they were sniping

Past Perfect
I had sniped
you had sniped
he/she/it had sniped
we had sniped
you had sniped
they had sniped

Future
I will snipe
you will snipe
he/she/it will snipe
we will snipe
you will snipe
they will snipe

Future Perfect
I will have sniped
you will have sniped
he/she/it will have sniped
we will have sniped
you will have sniped
they will have sniped

Future Continuous
I will be sniping
you will be sniping
he/she/it will be sniping
we will be sniping
you will be sniping
they will be sniping

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been sniping
you have been sniping
he/she/it has been sniping
we have been sniping
you have been sniping
they have been sniping

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been sniping
you will have been sniping
he/she/it will have been sniping
we will have been sniping
you will have been sniping
they will have been sniping

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been sniping
you had been sniping
he/she/it had been sniping
we had been sniping
you had been sniping
they had been sniping

Conditional
I would snipe
you would snipe
he/she/it would snipe
we would snipe
you would snipe
they would snipe

Past Conditional
I would have sniped
you would have sniped
he/she/it would have sniped
we would have sniped
you would have sniped
they would have sniped

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	snipe - Old or New World straight-billed game bird of the sandpiper family; of marshy areas; similar to the woodcocks limicoline bird, shore bird, shorebird - any of numerous wading birds that frequent mostly seashores and estuaries Gallinago gallinago, whole snipe - common snipe of Eurasia and Africa Gallinago gallinago delicata, Wilson's snipe - American snipe Gallinago media, great snipe, woodcock snipe - Old World snipe larger and darker than the whole snipe half snipe, jacksnipe, Limnocryptes minima - a small short-billed Old World snipe dowitcher - shorebird of the sandpiper family that resembles a snipe wisp - a flock of snipe
	2.	snipe - a gunshot from a concealed location gunfire, gunshot - the act of shooting a gun; "the gunfire endangered innocent bystanders"; "they retreated in the face of withering enemy fire"
Verb	1.	snipe - hunt or shoot snipe hunt, hunt down, track down, run - pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals); "Goering often hunted wild boars in Poland"; "The dogs are running deer"; "The Duke hunted in these woods"
	2.	snipe - aim and shoot with great precision sharpshoot shoot, blast - fire a shot; "the gunman blasted away"
	3.	snipe - attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker" lash out, attack, assail, assault, round criticise, criticize, pick apart, knock - find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws; "The paper criticized the new movie"; "Don't knock the food--it's free" blackguard, clapperclaw, abuse, shout - use foul or abusive language towards; "The actress abused the policeman who gave her a parking ticket"; "The angry mother shouted at the teacher" claw - attack as if with claws; "The politician clawed his rival" vitriol - subject to bitter verbal abuse rip - criticize or abuse strongly and violently; "The candidate ripped into his opponent mercilessly" whang - attack forcefully; "whang away at the school reform plan" barrage, bombard - address with continuously or persistently, as if with a barrage; "The speaker was barraged by an angry audience"; "The governor was bombarded with requests to grant a pardon to the convicted killer" scald, blister, whip - subject to harsh criticism; "The Senator blistered the administration in his speech on Friday"; "the professor scaled the students"; "your invectives scorched the community" rubbish - attack strongly

snipe

verb

1. criticize, knock (informal), put down, carp, bitch, have a go (at) (informal), jeer, denigrate, disparage, flame (informal) She kept sniping at her husband all through dinner.

2. shoot at, open fire on, hit at, blast at (slang) Gunmen have reportedly sniped at army positions.

snipe

² noun

Related words
collective nouns walk, wisp

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

يَقْنُص، يُطْلِقُ النّار من مَخْبأ

střílet z krytu

snigskyde

Schnepfe Bekassine

chocha

bécassine

orvlövésszalonka

skjóta á úr leyni

beccaccino criticare sparare beccaccia

šaudyti iš už priedangos/iš pasalųsnaiperistilvikas

šaut no slēpņa

snikskyte

ateş etmek

狙击

snipe

[snaɪp]

A. N (= bird) → agachadiza f

B. VI to snipe at sb (lit) → disparar a algn desde un escondite
to snipe at one's critics → responder ante las críticas
he was really sniping at the Minister → en realidad sus ataques iban dirigidos contra el Ministro

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

snipe

[ˈsnaɪp]

(= criticize) → critiquer
to snipe at sb → critiquer qn

to snipe at sb/sth → tirer sur qn/qch sans se faire voir

n (= bird) → bécassine f

snipe

n pl <-> (Orn) → Schnepfe f

vi to snipe at somebody (lit, fig) → aus dem Hinterhalt auf jdn schießen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

snipe

[snaɪp]

1. n pl inv (bird) → beccaccino

2. vi to snipe at sb → sparare a qn da un nascondiglio (fig) → lanciare frecciatine a qn

snipe

(snaip) : snipe at

to shoot at (someone) from a hidden position. The rebels were sniping at the government troops.

ˈsniper noun

The soldier was shot by a sniper.

References in classic literature ?

If for Snipes, then our ape friend is a friend indeed.

This man, Snipes, had assumed the role of chief since he had killed their former leader, and so little time had elapsed that none of his companions had as yet questioned his authority.

Clayton's only response was a shrug of the shoulders, but as he left them he picked up the spear which had transfixed Snipes, and thus primitively armed, the son of the then Lord Greystoke strode into the dense jungle.

View in context

I am much too battered and old for such a fine young lady as Glorvina." And so he went on riding with her, and copying music and verses into her albums, and playing at chess with her very submissively; for it is with these simple amusements that some officers in India are accustomed to while away their leisure moments, while others of a less domestic turn hunt hogs, and shoot snipes, or gamble and smoke cheroots, and betake themselves to brandy-and-water.

What cared he, a man on the high road to forty, to know how many snipes Lieutenant Smith had shot, or what were the performances of Ensign Brown's mare?

View in context

The country abounded with aquatic and land birds, such as swans, wild geese, brant, ducks of almost every description, pelicans, herons, gulls, snipes, curlews, eagles, vultures, crows, ravens, magpies, woodpeckers, pigeons, partridges, pheasants, grouse, and a great variety of singing birds.

View in context

He recalled the murder of King by the rat-faced Snipes; the abandonment of Professor Porter and his party by the mutineers of the ARROW; the cruelty of the black warriors and women of Mbonga to their captives; the petty jealousies of the civil and military officers of the West Coast colony that had afforded him his first introduction to the civilized world.

View in context

Would not the first of them who saw me wring my neck like a snipe's?

View in context

The Honourable Wilmot Snipe, and other distinguished gentlemen crowded to render homage to the Misses Clubber; and Sir Thomas Clubber stood bolt upright, and looked majestically over his black kerchief at the assembled company.

View in context

"There must be snipe too," he thought, and just as he reached the turning homewards he met the forest keeper, who confirmed his theory about the snipe.

View in context

A very singular little bird, Tinochorus rumicivorus, is here common: in its habits and general appearance, it nearly equally partakes of the characters, different as they are, of the quail and snipe. The Tinochorus is found in the whole of southern South America, wherever there are sterile plains, or open dry pasture land.

View in context

Ere long, he returned with half a dozen wild ducks and a kind of snipe, which Joe served up in his best style.