snag

[ snag ]

noun

1. a tree or part of a tree held fast in the bottom of a river, lake, etc., and forming an impediment or danger to navigation.
2. a short, projecting stump, as of a branch broken or cut off.
3. any sharp or rough projection.
4. a jagged hole, tear, pull, or run in a fabric, as caused by catching on a sharp projection.
5. any obstacle or impediment.
6. a stump of a tooth or a projecting tooth; snaggletooth.

verb (used with object)

, snagged, snag·ging.

1. to run or catch up on a snag.
2. to damage by so doing.
3. to obstruct or impede, as a snag does:

   He snagged all my efforts.

4. to grab; seize:

   to snag the last piece of pie.

verb (used without object)

, snagged, snag·ging.

1. to become entangled with some obstacle or hindrance.
2. to become tangled:

   This line snags every time I cast.

3. (of a boat) to strike a snag.
4. to form a snag.

snag

/ snæɡ /

noun

1. a difficulty or disadvantage

   the snag is that I have nothing suitable to wear

2. a sharp protuberance, such as a tree stump
3. a small loop or hole in a fabric caused by a sharp object
4. engineering a projection that brings to a stop a sliding or rotating component
5. a tree stump in a riverbed that is dangerous to navigation
6. a standing dead tree, esp one used as a perch by an eagle
7. slang.
   plural sausages

verb

1. tr to hinder or impede
2. tr to tear or catch (fabric)
3. intr to develop a snag
4. intr (of a boat) to strike or be damaged by a snag
5. tr to clear (a stretch of water) of snags
6. tr to seize (an opportunity, benefit, etc)

Derived Forms

• ˈsnagˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• snaglike adjective
• un·snagged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of snag¹

First recorded in 1570–80, snag is from the Old Norse word snagi point, projection

Word History and Origins

Origin of snag¹

C16: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse snaghyrndr sharp-pointed, Norwegian snage spike, Icelandic snagi peg

Idioms and Phrases

see hit a snag .

Example Sentences

Development of an AR headset at Apple seems to have hit a snag or two under current project lead Mike Rockwell, though the report does not outline exactly which obstacles have emerged.

From Ars Technica

I babied mine and still saw a few small snags while bushwhacking.

From Outside Online

It was inspiring to see how our customers reacted when we’d hit snags, like a shipping delay.

From Fortune

The snag is that the nonmedical part of the world has to buy in, too.

From Science News

By May, those efforts seemed to hit a snag when the Housing Commission decided not to move forward with 10 hotel properties it had initially eyed.

From Voice of San Diego

He was 19, and managed to snag a summer internship with New Line Cinema.

From The Daily Beast

The wire is long gone, but a rusted snag remains entombed in the bark.

From The Daily Beast

This is a snag because Chan lives across the border, where the Hong Kong Dollar is used.

From The Daily Beast

Over the last four years, however, the process has hit a snag.

From The Daily Beast

Luz gets away and hires Malone to take her over the border, where Thacker and others are waiting to snag her.

From The Daily Beast

We made an extra steering-oar, too, because one of the others might get broke on a snag or something.

From Project Gutenberg

Imbedded in this bar was a long white snag, a tree trunk whose naked arms, thrusting far down stream, had literally impaled us.

From Project Gutenberg

After that I waded back to the snag carefully, and once more ordered the young woman to come to me.

From Project Gutenberg

At length I crept to the snag and beat against it with my cane.

From Project Gutenberg

Down the road arose sharp words of command, and the burning top of a tall pine snag threw its light upon bayonets in the highway.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• rip
• run into