snib

1 of 4

transitive verb (1)

ˈsnib

variants or less commonly sneb

ˈsneb

snibbed; snibbed; snibbing; snibs

1

dialectal, British : check, restrain

2

dialectal, British : rebuke, snub

3

dialectal, British : to put an end to : cut short

snib

2 of 4

noun (1)

ˈsnib

plural -s

chiefly Scottish

: rebuff, snub

snib

3 of 4

transitive verb (2)

"

snibbed; snibbed; snibbing; snibs

Scottish

: fasten, bolt, bar

snibbed the door

—J. M. Barrie

snib

4 of 4

noun (2)

"

plural -s

dialectal, British

: a door fastening : bolt, catch

Word History

Etymology

Transitive verb (1)

Middle English snibben, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to obsolete Danish snibbe to scold, rebuke, obsolete Swedish snybba, Old Norse snubba

Noun (1)

Middle English snybb, from snibben, verb

Transitive verb (2)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

origin unknown

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!