Source etymology 1
Original entry ↗A stump or base of a branch that has been lopped off; a short branch, or a sharp or rough branch. · A dead tree that remains standing. · A tree, or a branch of a tree, fixed in the bottom of a river or other navigable water, and rising nearly or quite to the surface, by which boats are sometimes pierced and sunk. · Any sharp protuberant part of an object, which may catch, scratch, or tear other objects brought into contact with it.
To catch or tear (e.g. fabric) upon a rough surface or projection. · To damage or sink (a vessel) by collision; said of a tree or branch fixed to the bottom of a navigable body of water and partially submerged or rising to just beneath the surface. · To fish by means of dragging a large hook or hooks on a line, intending to impale the body (rather than the mouth) of the target. · To obtain or pick up, especially in a quick or surreptitious way.
From earlier snag (“stump or branch of a tree”), from Middle English *snagge, *snage, from Old Norse snagi (“clothes peg”) (compare Old Norse snag-hyrndr (“snag-horned, having jagged corners”)), perhaps related to *sneganą, *snakaną (“to crawl, creep, wind about”) if the original meaning of the root *sneg- was more like “pointy object, stinging creature”. Note also *snakkōną (“to snap at, smack the lips; to blow”) (German schnacken (“to chat”)) and English sneck, snatch. Compare Norwegian snag, snage (“protrusion; projecting point”), Icelandic snagi (“peg”). Also see the Dutch-origin fish names snoek and snook.
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
This page abbreviates 6 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
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"3": "*snagge"
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"expansion": "Middle English *snagge"
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"A stump or base of a branch that has been lopped off; a short branch, or a sharp or rough branch.",
"A dead tree that remains standing.",
"A tree, or a branch of a tree, fixed in the bottom of a river or other navigable water, and rising nearly or quite to the surface, by which boats are sometimes pierced and sunk.",
"Any sharp protuberant part of an object, which may catch, scratch, or tear other objects brought into contact with it."
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"To damage or sink (a vessel) by collision; said of a tree or branch fixed to the bottom of a navigable body of water and partially submerged or rising to just beneath the surface.",
"To fish by means of dragging a large hook or hooks on a line, intending to impale the body (rather than the mouth) of the target.",
"To obtain or pick up, especially in a quick or surreptitious way."
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