snipe

1 of 2

noun

ˈsnīp 

plural snipes

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

snipe

2 of 2

verb

sniped; sniping

intransitive verb

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

Examples of snipe in a Sentence

Verb

Enemy fighters sniped at them from vacant buildings.

One of the senators sniped, “What does he think this is, a monarchy?”.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Nothing about the original snipe was surprising or subtle. —Philip Elliott / Detroit, TIME, 19 Oct. 2024

Scarlett Johansson is using her very real voice to virtual snipe at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 17 July 2024

Verb

However, immediately after sniping and killing Marshall P. Pope from a distance, Jan returns to police custody. —Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Oct. 2024

That’s really all there is to it, but Justin Piasecki’s knotted script absolutely delights in the process of Ash’s work, and in the gamesmanship that makes Worthington’s crew so eager to sniff him out and snipe his leverage. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse snīpa snipe; akin to Old High German snepfa snipe

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

snipe

1 of 2 noun

ˈsnīp 

plural snipes or snipe

: any of several birds that have a long slender bill, live mostly in marshy areas, and are related to the sandpipers

snipe

2 of 2 verb

sniped; sniping

1

: to shoot at exposed individuals of an enemy's forces from a usually concealed point

2

: to attack with unfair or cutting remarks

sniper noun