A snipe is also an imaginary animal that gets chased by some rube in a snipe hunt. If your so-called "friends" ever invite you to go snipe hunting, it involves stranding you for hours in the middle of a field yelling "SNIPE!" at the top of your lungs. Very funny for them, as they sit under the shade of the trees and watch while drinking beer. If you're exceeding unlucky, they'll video tape the event.

Snipe (?), n. [OE. snipe; akin to D. snep, snip, LG. sneppe, snippe, G. schnepfe, Icel. snipa (in comp.), Dan. sneppe, Sw. snappa 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.

⇒ The common, or whole, snipe (Gallinago cœlestis) 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 1913.


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 1913.


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 1913.

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