snipe

Everyday

1. A snipe is a wading bird with a very long straight beak that lives in marshes and wet fields. tree →
2. To snipe is to shoot at people from a hidden place far away. tree →
3. (informal) To snipe at someone is to make nasty, sly little criticisms of them. tree →
4. (informal) To snipe in an online auction or game is to win at the last second. tree →

In the lessons

In nature lessons, snipe probe mud with their long beaks for worms and are hard to spot. The word "sniper" comes from hunting snipe, which were so quick that only good shooters could hit them. In stories and news, "sniping" between people means unkind remarks. A "snipe hunt" is a joke in North American camps where someone is sent looking for an imaginary animal.

Examples

• A snipe pushed its long beak into the mud. tree →
• Snipe are well camouflaged in the marsh grass. tree →
• The two brothers kept sniping at each other all through dinner. tree →
• Soldiers were sniped at from the rooftops. tree →
• She sniped the last item in the online auction. tree →
• The older campers sent us on a snipe hunt as a joke. tree →
• Stop sniping and say what you really think. tree →
• Another time they found a few snipes' eggs in the wood, which was a great event. tree →

Note

The bird's plural is often the same: snipe. Person who shoots: a sniper. The "sly comment" sense is informal and is usually "snipe at someone".