A Topical Dictionary: Search for sneak

Dictionary Results For "sneak" [?]/[OPML]

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English

Pronunciation

IPA: /sniːk/,

Noun

A mean, sneaking fellow.
, A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; a daisy-cutter

Verb

To creep or steal (away or about) privately; to come or go meanly, as a person afraid or ashamed to be seen; as, to sneak away from company.
To hide, especially in a mean or cowardly manner.

Usage notes

The past and past participle snuck is primarily found in North American English, where it originated in the late 19th century as a dialectal form, and where it is still regarded as informal by some; its use appears to be increasing in frequency and acceptability. It is sometimes found in British and Australian English too. (Cf. The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Webster's New World College Dictionary).

Derived terms

Translations

Swedish: smyga

Bosnian: šunjati se, inf; krasti se inf
Dutch: binnenglippen
Finnish: hiipiä, hiippailla
German: schleichen

Category:English irregular verbs Category:Gaits

fr:sneak io:sneak it:sneak hu:sneak pl:sneak ru:sneak fi:sneak ta:sneak te:sneak vi:sneak uk:sneak

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Sneak \Sneak\ (sn[=e]k), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sneaked
(sn[=e]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. Sneaking.] [OE. sniken, AS.
sn[imac]can to creep; akin to Dan. snige sig; cf. Icel.
sn[imac]kja to hanker after.]
1. To creep or steal (away or about) privately; to come or go
meanly, as a person afraid or ashamed to be seen; as, to
sneak away from company.
[1913 Webster]

You skulked behind the fence, and sneaked away.
--Dryden.
[1913 Webster]

2. To act in a stealthy and cowardly manner; to behave with
meanness and servility; to crouch.
[1913 Webster]

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Sneak \Sneak\, v. t.
To hide, esp. in a mean or cowardly manner. [Obs.] "[Slander]
sneaks its head." --Wake.
[1913 Webster]

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Sneak \Sneak\, n.
1. A mean, sneaking fellow.
[1913 Webster]

A set of simpletons and superstitious sneaks.
--Glanvill.
[1913 Webster]

2. (Cricket) A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; --
called also grub. [Cant] --R. A. Proctor.
[1913 Webster]

WordNet sneak
adj : marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to
avoid being observed; "a furtive manner"; "a lurking
prowler"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a
surreptitious glance at his watch"; "someone skulking
in the shadows" [syn: furtive, lurking, skulking,
sneak(a), sneaky, stealthy, surreptitious]
n 1: someone who prowls or sneaks about; usually with unlawful
intentions [syn: prowler, stalker]
2: someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police [syn:
fink, snitch, snitcher, stoolpigeon, stoolie, sneaker,
canary]
v 1: to go stealthily or furtively; "..stead of sneaking around
spying on the neighbor's house" [syn: mouse, creep,
steal, pussyfoot]
2: put, bring, or take in a secretive or furtive manner; "sneak
a look"; "sneak a cigarette"
3: make off with belongings of others [syn: pilfer, cabbage,
purloin, pinch, abstract, snarf, swipe, hook,
filch, nobble, lift]
4: pass on stealthily; "He slipped me the key when nobody was
looking" [syn: slip]
[also: snuck]

Moby Dictionary
arrant coward , blackguard , caitiff , clandestine , couch , covert ,
cower , craven , crawl , creep , cringe , crouch , cur , dastard , devil ,
fink , furtive , glide , go on tiptoe , grass , grovel , gumshoe , heel ,
hole-and-corner , hush-hush , inch , inch along , informer , knave ,
lay wait , lie in wait , louse , lurk , nark , nightwalk , pad , poltroon ,
precious rascal , prowl , pussyfoot , quail , rapscallion , rascal ,
recreant , reptile , rogue , run , scalawag , scamp , scoundrel ,
scrabble , scramble , shadow , shirk , shithead , shyster , sidle , skulk ,
skunk , slide , slink , slip , slither , sly , smuggle , snake , sneaker ,
snitch , snook , spalpeen , stalk , steal , steal along , stealthy ,
stoolie , surreptitious , tippytoe , tiptoe , toad , undercover ,
villain , weasel , worm , worm along