Snaffle originated as a term for a horse's bridle bit and fitting it, later developing the meaning to obtain something, often by devious means.
Snaffle, en su origen, se refería a la parte de la brida de un caballo o a la acción de ajustarla. Posteriormente, desarrolló el significado de obtener algo, a menudo por medios dudosos o disimulados.
| Word | snaffle |
|---|---|
| Date | April 12, 2017 |
| Type | verb |
| Syllables | SNAFF-ul |
| Etymology | The origins of snaffle are shrouded in mystery. What we know of its story begins in the 16th century. At that time, snaffle existed as both a noun referring to a simple bit for a horse's bridle and a verb meaning "to fit or equip with a snaffle" or "to restrain or check with or as if with a snaffle." The noun could be from an old German word for "mouth," snavel, but the connection has not been confirmed. The "obtain" meaning of the verb appeared in the early 18th century, and its origins are similarly elusive. Not so mysterious is what happened next to the verb: it developed a meaning of "to steal or rob," at least in British dialects. |
| Examples | A malicious code discovered in the computer system was designed to snaffle user names and passwords. "A quick-thinking and quick-catching baseball player has avoided a potential disaster in the dugout for his team, as he snaffled a bat careering towards his team." — Wide World of Sports (www.wwos.nine.com.au), 3 Mar. 2017 |
| Definition | : to obtain especially by devious or irregular means |
Tags: wordoftheday::verb
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