The Collaborative International Dictionary
Snap \Snap\, n. [Cf. D. snap a snatching. See Snap, v. t.]
A sudden breaking or rupture of any substance.
A sudden, eager bite; a sudden seizing, or effort to seize, as with the teeth.
A sudden, sharp motion or blow, as with the finger sprung from the thumb, or the thumb from the finger.
A sharp, abrupt sound, as that made by the crack of a whip; as, the snap of the trigger of a gun.
A greedy fellow.
--L'Estrange.-
That which is, or may be, snapped up; something bitten off, seized, or obtained by a single quick movement; hence, a bite, morsel, or fragment; a scrap.
He's a nimble fellow, And alike skilled in every liberal science, As having certain snaps of all.
--B. Jonson. A sudden severe interval or spell; -- applied to the weather; as, a cold snap.
--Lowell.A small catch or fastening held or closed by means of a spring, or one which closes with a snapping sound, as the catch of a bracelet, necklace, clasp of a book, etc.
(Zo["o]l.) A snap beetle.
A thin, crisp cake, usually small, and flavored with ginger; -- used chiefly in the plural.
Briskness; vigor; energy; decision. [Colloq.]
Any circumstance out of which money may be made or an advantage gained. [Slang]
Any task, labor, set of circumstances, or the like, that yields satisfactory results or gives pleasure with little trouble or effort, as an easy course of study, a job where work is light, a bargain, etc. [Slang, Chiefly U. S.]
A snap shot with a firearm.
(Photog.) A snapshot.
Something of no value; as, not worth a snap. [Colloq.]
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(Football) The action of snapping the ball back, from the center usu. to the quarterback, which commences the play (down), and, if the clock had stopped, restarts the timer clock; a snap back.
Snap back (Football), the act of snapping back the ball.
Snap beetle, or Snap bug (Zo["o]l.), any beetle of the family Elaterid[ae], which, when laid on its back, is able to leap to a considerable height by means of a thoracic spring; -- called also snapping beetle.
Snap flask (Molding), a flask for small work, having its sides separable and held together by latches, so that the flask may be removed from around the sand mold.
Snap judgment, a judgment formed on the instant without deliberation.
Snap lock, a lock shutting with a catch or snap.
Snap riveting, riveting in which the rivets have snapheads formed by a die or swaging tool.
Snap shot, a quick offhand shot, without deliberately taking aim.
Usage examples of "snap lock".
He unlooped the long leash at his belt, with its slip ring and snap lock.
Quickly his large, efficient hands shortened the loop, sliding the slip ring to a snug fit, then securing it in place, preventing its backward movement, with the snap lock.
The man who had held the stake then took a snap collar, with chain and snap lock, about a yard in length, and secured the girl, on her knees, by the neck, to the stake.
It seemed to be an ordinary leather case, with a metal handle and a snap lock.
For example, it can be useful in leading her about, either because of its ring, to which a leash may be attached, or in connection with a leash with a snap lock, which can be placed about the collar itself.
It had an ordinary Yale snap lock with an iron grille covering its dirty panes but they didn't touch it.
She told them how to snap the globes into the metal rings at the top of the suits and secure them with a tiny snap lock on the rim.
Elaine followed in a moment, loyally, to protect her supposed friend, but found that the door had a snap lock on the other side.
For that matter there must be somebody in the gang outside with the key to the door's snap lock.