Also 7–8 snaw. [ad. Du. snauw, snaauw, or LG. snau (hence Da. and Sw. snau, G. schnau, schnaue, and F. senau), of doubtful origin.] A small sailing-vessel resembling a brig, carrying a main and fore mast and a supplementary trysail mast close behind the mainmast; formerly employed as a warship.
α. 1676. Lond. Gaz., No. 1079/3. Ostend, March 29. On the 25 instant,… appeared off of this Harbour … two Snaws of four Guns each.
1695. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), III. 441. 28 sail of French ships,… and among them 6 or 8 snaws of 8 or 10 guns each. Ibid. (1710), VI. 532. A French snaw, with 33 men and 4 guns.
β. 1721. S. Sewall, Diary, 14 April. A Letter from Capt. Tuthill,… giving me an account of the Arrival of the Snow Anna.
1763. Sir S. T. Janssen, Smuggling Laid Open, 263. A Snow of 120 Tons, and 48 Men,… Mounting 12 Carriage Guns, besides Swivels.
1784. Colman, Prose on Sev. Occas. (1787), III. 255. Majestick navies in her harbours ride, Skiffs, snows, and frigates anchor by their side.
1810. Crabbe, Borough, i. 52. Far other craft our prouder river shows, Hoys, pinks and sloops; brigs, brigantines and snows.
1846. A. Young, Naut. Dict., 50. A Brig bends her boom-sail (or … trysail) to the mainmast, while a Snow bends it to a trysail mast: in other respects these two vessels are alike.
1881. W. Clark Russell, Ocean Free-Lance, II. iv. 193. The whole ocean … was covered by … brigs, snows, tartans, schooners, pinks.
attrib. and Comb. 1790. Beatson, Nav. & Mil. Mem., II. 183. The James & Thomas tender … was attacked by a large snow privateer.
1860. Merc. Mar. Mag., VII. 148. She was a two-masted vessel,… and snow-rigged.
