Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A tangled mass, as of hair or yarn.
- noun A confused, complicated, or tangled situation.
- intransitive verb To become tangled or confused.
- intransitive verb To tangle or knot (hair, for example).
- intransitive verb To confuse or complicate.
- intransitive verb To growl viciously while baring the teeth.
- intransitive verb To speak angrily or threateningly.
- intransitive verb To utter with anger or hostility.
- noun A vicious growl.
- noun A vicious, hostile utterance.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To growl sharply, as an angry or surly dog; gnarl.
- Figuratively, to speak in a sharp and quarrelsome or faultfinding way; talk rudely or churlishly; snap.
- To utter with a snarl: as, to
snarl one's discontent; to snarl out an oath. - To entangle; complicate; involve in knots: as, to
snarl a skein of thread. - To embarrass; confuse; entangle.
- To shape or ornament the exterior of (vessels of thin metal) by repercussion from within. See
snarling-iron . - To make tangles or snarls; also, to become entangled.
- noun A snare; any knot or complication of hair, thread, etc., which it is difficult to disentangle; also, a group of things resembling, in entanglement, such a knot: as, a snarl of yachts.
- noun Figuratively, complication; intricacy; embarrassing condition: as, to get the negotiation into a snarl.
- noun A vexatious controversy; a squabble. This sense may have been affected by snarl.
- noun A knot in wood; a gnarl.
- noun A sharp growl; also, a jealous, quarrelsome, or faultfinding utterance, like the snarling of a dog or a wolf.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots.
- transitive verb To embarrass; to insnare.
- noun A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle; entanglement; hence, intricate complication; embarrassing difficulty.
- intransitive verb To growl, as an angry or surly dog; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds.
- intransitive verb To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms.
- transitive verb To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface.
- noun The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
knot orcomplication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult todisentangle ;entanglement ; hence,intricate complication;embarrassing difficulty . - noun The act of snarling; a
growl ; asurly orpeevish expression; an angry contention. - noun A growl, as of an angry or surly dog, or similar; grumbling sounds
- verb To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface.
- verb To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots; as, to snarl a skein of thread.
- verb To
embarrass ; toinsnare . - verb To growl, as an angry or surly dog; to
gnarl ; to utter grumbling sounds. - verb To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise
- noun an angry vicious expression
- verb twist together or entwine into a confusing mass
- noun something jumbled or confused
- verb utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
- verb make more complicated or confused through entanglements
- noun a vicious angry growl
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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He bellied cautiously inside and was met by a warning snarl from the she-wolf.
The Lair 2010
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The intent of the snarl is to warn or frighten, and judgment is required to know when it should be used.
The Outcast 2010
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The air-traffic snarl from the Icelandic volcano has transformed Spain's capital and its airport into Europe's unofficial hub, as travelers grow desperate to reach their destinations.
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It appears that many of the commentors use “neoconservative” as somewhat of a portmanteau snarl-word: the issue at discussion is the extent the snarl aspect applies to or is caused by Jews, either as individuals or as a collective.
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We're still very much in "snarl mode", but we have managed to find a picture of Blair looking at his equipment.
Praise indeed Richard 2006
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A good snarl from the heart is never tedious. (tis out August 5th, btw ... or sometime next year if yer in the US) duanawitch: I shall munch on your cookie with some milk to calm my bilious stomach.
Duh, Tell Us About The Rabbits, George Hal Duncan 2005
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There was a murmuring and a snarl from the tribespeople, a flashing of knives from the sheaths and a clicking of rusting guns.
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The intent of the snarl is to warn or frighten, and judgment is required to know when it should be used.
The Outcast 1906
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He bellied cautiously inside and was met by a warning snarl from the she-wolf.
The Lair 1906
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There was a murmuring and a snarl from the tribespeople, a flashing of knives from the sheaths and a clicking of rusting guns.
oroboros commented on the word snarl
"The little painted horses stopped shifty and truculent and a vicious snarl of flies fought constantly in the bed of the gamewagon."
--Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
April 18, 2009