snap

Noun (1)

snap (countable and uncountable, plural snaps)

1. A quick breaking or cracking sound or the action of producing such a sound.
2. A sudden break.
3. An attempt to seize, bite, attack, or grab.
4. The act of snapping the fingers; making a sound by pressing a finger against the thumb and suddenly releasing to strike the hand.
5. A fastening device that makes a snapping sound when used.
6. (informal) A photograph; a snapshot.
   • We took a few snaps of the old church before moving on.
7. The sudden release of something held under pressure or tension.
8. A thin circular cookie or similar baked good.
   • a ginger snap
9. A brief, sudden period of a certain weather; used primarily in the phrase cold snap.
10. A very short period of time (figuratively, the time taken to snap one's fingers), or a task that can be accomplished in such a period.
    • It'll be a snap to get that finished.
    • I can fix most vacuum cleaners in a snap.
11. A snap bean such as Phaseolus vulgaris.
12. A backward pass or handoff of a football from its position on the ground that puts the ball in play; a hike.
    • According to Pro Football Focus, Simmons, listed at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, played at least 100 snaps at five positions — slot cornerback, edge rusher, linebacker and both safety spots — and finished with 16½ tackles for a loss, eight sacks, eight pass deflections and three interceptions.2020 April 23, Ken Belson, Ben Shpigel, “Full Round 1 2020 N.F.L. Picks and Analysis”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on...

Verb (1)

snap (third-person singular simple present snaps, present participle snapping, simple past and past participle snapped or (obsolete) snapt)

1. (intransitive, transitive) To fracture or break apart suddenly.
   • He snapped his stick in anger.
   • If you bend it too much, it will snap.
2. (intransitive) To give forth or produce a sharp cracking noise; to crack.
   • Blazing firewood snaps.
3. (intransitive) To attempt to seize or bite with the teeth, beak, etc.
   • A dog snaps at a passenger. A fish snaps at the bait.
4. (intransitive) To attempt to seize with eagerness.
   • She snapped at the chance to appear on television.
5. (intransitive) To speak abruptly or sharply.
   • He snapped at me for the slightest mistake.
6. (intransitive) To give way abruptly and loudly.
7. (intransitive) To suffer a mental breakdown, usually while under tension.
   • She should take a break before she snaps.
   • He was in the Thunderbirds before the war. One of the best combat pilots in 'Nam. Snapped. No doubt about it.1983, Frank Lupo, Stephen J. Cannell, “Mexican Slayride”, in The A-Team, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Colonel Lynch (William Lucking)
8. (intransitive) To flash or appear to flash as with light.
9. (intransitive) To fit or fasten together with a snapping sound.
10. (intransitive) To jump to a fixed position relative to another element.
    • The floating toolbar will snap to the edge of the screen when dragged towards it.
11. (transitive) To snatch with or as if with the teeth.
    • He, by playing too often at the mouth of death, has been snapped by it at last.1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London
12. (transitive) To pull apart with a snapping sound; to pop loose.

Interjection

1. The cry used in a game of snap when winning a hand.
2. (Australia, UK, broadly) "I've got one the same!", "Me too!"
   • Snap! We've both got pink buckets and spades.
3. (UK, broadly) Used to express agreement.
4. (Canada, US) Used in place of an expletive to express surprise, usually in response to a negative statement or news; often used facetiously.
   • I just ran over your phone with my car. —Oh, snap!
5. (Australia, New Zealand, UK) Used after something is said by two people at exactly the same time.
   • —Wasn't that John? —Wasn't that John? —Snap!

   Synonyms:

   jinx

Adjective

snap (not comparable)

1. (attributive, informal) Done, made, performed, etc., quickly and unexpectedly, or without deliberation.
   • a snap judgment or decision
   • a snap political convention

Proper noun (1) capitalized: SNAP

SNAP

1. (US, abbreviation, acronym) Acronym of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
   • Lots of people who are in compliance with the new rules – either because they already work or meet exemption criteria – could lose their assistance because of red tape, said Dottie Rosenbaum, the center’s director of federal SNAP policy.2023 June 2, Tami Luhby, “Here’s who would have to work for government benefits – and who wouldn’t – under the debt ceiling package”, in CNN, archived from the original on 13 Jun 2023
   • Most of the current proposals to eliminate soda from SNAP come from reliably Republican states, but the partisan lines aren’t straightforward.2025 July 19, Ben Blatt, “Should Food Stamps Pay for Soda?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 19 Jul 2025
2. (abbreviation, acronym) Acronym of Subnetwork Access Protocol.
3. (abbreviation, acronym, historical) Acronym of Scalable Network Application Package.
4. (abbreviation, acronym) Acronym of Symbolic Network Analysis Program.

Noun (2) capitalized: SNAP

SNAP (countable and uncountable, plural SNAPs)

1. (abbreviation, acronym) Acronym of soluble NSF attachment protein.
2. (abbreviation, acronym) Acronym of S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine.

Proper noun (2) capitalized: Snap

Snap

1. (abbreviation, clipping, colloquial) Clipping of Snapchat.
   • Others pointed to messages on Snap, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube with doctored clips of “news reports” saying that voting was rigged where they lived and said, Why even bother voting?2020, Theresa Payton, Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN
   • Do you have snap? That at least has voice messages we could trade without trading numbers..ya know, in case im a psycho2021, David Sharpe, Gentlemen’s Guide to Flirting, →ISBN

Noun (3) capitalized: Snap

Snap (plural Snaps)

1. (social media) A visual message sent through the Snapchat application.
   • The Snapstreak increases when you and your friend send a Snap to each other within a 24-hour period for three consecutive days.2019 August 6, Becky Pemberton, “Snapchat streaks: How to get back a lost streak and how to report a problem”, in The Sun

   Synonyms:

   Snapchat

2. (abbreviation, clipping, colloquial, social media) Clipping of Snapchat (“user account on Snapchat”).
   • “Can we exchange info or something? Maybe we can meet up tomorrow.” “Sure, my Snap is NoWaySims.” “That sounds like a fake account,” Ty said.2022, Kasie West, Places We’ve Never Been, Delacorte Press, →ISBN, page 97
   • “What’s your Snap?” she says, pulling out her phone, medium-sized with a black sparkly cover that says *That B!tch* in gold letters. “I don’t have Snap,” I say.2022, Lee Call, The Angel Room, J Emrys Press, →ISBN

Verb (2) capitalized: Snap

Snap (third-person singular simple present Snaps, present participle Snapping, simple past and past participle Snapped)

1. (ditransitive, social media) To send a visual message through the Snapchat application.
   • “Snap Clark again, Bea,” Madeline said. “Hopefully he’ll send another bathing suit pic.” / Bea smoothed her hair down and sat up straight on the diving board. She sucked in her cheeks, making her lips all pouty, and took a selfie. For someone who didn’t know how to use Snapchat half an hour ago...2020 October, Eileen Moskowitz-Palma, School Squad (The Popularity Pact; 2), New York, N.Y.: Running Press Kids, →ISBN
   • I said I forgot what good taste he had in music and that I really liked House. He said he did too and ask^([sic]) me if I was on Snapchat? I said I used to be and that I could add it again. The instant I did he Snapped me and said he could really use a good back massage.2022, Leo Neet, 1000 Secrets, a Million Lies: Confessions of a Sex Addict, Pittsburgh, Pa.: Dorrance Publishing Co, →ISBN, page 45

   Synonyms:

   Snapchat