snoop
English
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Dutch snoepen (“to pry, eat in secret, sneak”). Related to (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Dutch and (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Low German snappen (“to bite, seize”), Dutch snavel (“beak, bill, pecker, neb”), German Schnabel (“beak, bill, mouth”). More at snap.
Pronunciation
Verb
snoop (third-person singular simple present snoops, present participle snooping, simple past and past participle snooped)
- To be devious and cunning so as not to be seen.
- To secretly spy on or investigate, especially into the private personal life of others.
- If I had not snooped on her, I wouldn't have found out that she lied about her degree.
Related terms
Translations
to be devious and cunning so as not to be seen
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to secretly spy on or investigate, especially into the private personal life of others
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Noun
snoop (plural snoops)
- The act of snooping
- One who snoops
- Be careful what you say around Gene because he's the bosses' snoop.
- A private detective
- She hired a snoop to find out if her husband was having an affair.
Translations
the act of snooping
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one who snoops
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a private detective
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References
- 1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology, Oxford University Press, →ISBN