snare
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
to catch with a snare; entangle.
-
to catch or involve by trickery or wile.
to snare her into going.
noun
noun
-
a device for trapping birds or small animals, esp a flexible loop that is drawn tight around the prey
-
a surgical instrument for removing certain tumours, consisting of a wire loop that may be drawn tight around their base to sever or uproot them
-
anything that traps or entangles someone or something unawares
verb
-
to catch (birds or small animals) with a snare
-
to catch or trap in or as if in a snare; capture by trickery
noun
Related Words
See trap 1.
Other Word Forms
- snareless adjective
- snarer noun
- snaringly adverb
- unsnared adjective
Etymology
Origin of snare1
First recorded before 1100; Middle English (noun and verb); cognate with Old Norse snara, Middle Low German snare, Old High German snar(a)ha
Origin of snare2
1680–90; < Middle Low German snare or Middle Dutch snaer string; replacing Old English snēr string of a musical instrument
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Some scientists thought these fish-eating creatures may have been fully aquatic, gliding through deep waters to snare prey.
From Barron's
Kaley’s lawsuit is a test case chosen from among hundreds alleging that social media apps were designed to snare young kids and keep them hooked.
From Los Angeles Times
Her lawsuit is a test case chosen from among hundreds charging that Instagram and YouTube were designed to snare young users and keep them hooked on their services.
From Los Angeles Times
"The mud is a snare. We may not be so lucky next time."
From Literature
Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
