Also 5 snake, 6 snacke, Sc. snak. [f. SNACK v. Cf. MDu. snac(k, WFlem. snak, in sense 1.]
1. A snap, a bite, esp. that of a dog. Now dial.
In quot. 1402 fig., with approximation to sense 3.
1402. Hoccleve, Letter of Cupid, 109. She, behinde thy bake, So lyberal ys, she wol no wyght with-sey, But smertly of another take a snake.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. xii. 150. The swipir Tuscan hund … With hys wyd chaftis at hym makis a snak.
1570. Levins, Manip., 5/14. Ye snacke of a dog, morsus.
1831. Miss Ferrier, Destiny, I. xx. 202. The honest man who found a snail in his [broth]: ‘Tak ye that snack, my man,’ says he, ‘for looking sae like a plum-damy;’ hach, hach, ho!
1896. A. Lilburn, Borderer, vi. 39. The bitch overtook the hare and gave a snack at its hinder parts.
b. A sharp or snappish remark or jibe.
1555. trans. Latimer’s Protest., in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), III. App. xxxiv. 92. I coulde … not be suffered to declare my faithe befor you … without snakkes, reiagges,… rebukes, and tauntes.
1896. Gratiana Chanter, Witch of Withyford, x. 121. She fancied ’twas a snack at the Squire, as he hadn’t been near her since the storm.
† 2. A short time; a snatch. Obs.–1
1513. Douglas, Æneid, VIII. vii. 86. As he had slummerit bot a snak.
3. A share, portion, part.
1683. Kennett, trans. Erasm. on Folly, 112. Because the first, if they are humoured, giue them some snacks out of unjust gain.
1699. E. S—cy, Country Gentl. Vade M., 98. If any body has any right to a Snack, ’tis this Gentleman, who saw me take it up.
1706. E. Ward, Wooden World Diss. (1708), 79. It will go plaguy hard, if he miss a Snack of it.
1777. Eliz. Ryves, Poems, 159. I’ll never lose scent of thee, until I have at least had snacks in the reward for apprehending thee.
1855. Carlyle, Misc. (1857), IV. 339. None of them without some snack of principality taken from the main lot.
b. In phr. to come (or put) in for a snack, etc.
1693. Chauncy, Enq. Gosp. New Law, 10. But there is another Righteousness, viz. Evangelical, that puts in for a snack, viz. that of the new Law.
1700. Earl Bellomont, Lett. to Sir J. Stanley, 5 March (Welbeck MSS.). I am told that … I have a right to a third part of them, but if the rest of the Lords come in for snacks, I shall be satisfyed.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), I. 141. The landlord would take all if we did not come in for snacks.
c. To go snacks († or snack), to have a share (in something), to divide profits.
1693. Dryden, etc. Juvenal, vii. (1726), 98. If one piece thou take, That must be cantled, and the Judge go snack.
1701. Farquhar, Sir H. Wildair, IV. ii. Well, monsieur! ’tis about a thousand pounds; we go snacks.
1748. Smollett, R. Random (1812), I. 106. A present to the Secretary with whom some of the commissioners went snacks.
1788. Cowper, Pity for poor Africans, 16. While they get riches…, Pray tell me why we may not also go snacks?
1829. Creevey, in Creevey P. (1904), II. viii. 201. To go snacks himself in the acquisition of power and profit.
1862. Temple Bar, VI. 10. The Princesses … were mean enough to go snacks in the profits.
4. a. A mere taste, a small quantity, of liquor.
In quot. 1685 perh. simply in sense 3.
1685. J. Dunton, Lett. fr. New-Eng. (1867), 11. As he was sure to supply us with Drink even without asking, so he would always thrust himself in for a snack, in helping to drink it.
1721. Ramsay, Lucky Spence, xvi. My malison … On them that drink and dinna pay, But tak a snack and run away.
1848. Kingsley, Saint’s Trag., III. ii. And take his snack of brandy for digestion.
b. A mere bite or morsel of food, as contrasted with a regular meal; a light or incidental repast.
1757. Monitor, No. 90. When once a man has got a snack of their trenchers, he too often retains a hankering after the honey-pot.
1763. Foote, Mayor of G., I. Wks. 1799, I. 174. We have but just time for a snack.
1811. Ora & Juliet, III. 134. I didn’t eat nothing but a bit of a snack at noon, and I am hungry.
1844. Alb. Smith, Adv. Mr. Ledbury, xli. (1886), 126. Our friends took a slight snack of cold bread and meat.
1874. Lisle Carr, Jud. Gwynne, I. ii. 46. Just to take a snack of dinner, before going over the outlying parts.
fig. 1817. Keats, Lett., Wks. 1889, III. 75. Having taken a snack or luncheon of literary scraps.
1892. Zangwill, Childr. Ghetto, I. 76. He craved more for spiritual snacks between meals than for physical.
c. attrib., as snack-house, a restaurant.
1820. T. Cromwell, Excurs. Irel., vii. 2. Partaking of the snack at one or other of the Snack-houses which abound in these villages.
1895. Dialect Notes, (Amer. Dial. Soc. 1896), I. VIII. 374. ‘There’s a right chance o’ snack houses down to Bakervul (Bakerville).’
