Advertisement

snarl (v.1)

"to tangle, to catch in a snare or noose" (trans.), late 14c., from a noun snarl "a snare, a noose" (late 14c.), probably a diminutive of snare (n.1). Intransitive sense "become twisted or entangled" is from c. 1600. Related: Snarled; snarling.

snarl (v.2)

"growl and bare the teeth," 1580s, perhaps from Dutch or Low German snarren "to rattle," probably of imitative origin (compare German schnarren "to rattle," schnurren "to hum, buzz"). Meaning "speak in a harsh manner" first recorded 1690s. Related: Snarled; snarling.

snarl (n.1)

late 14c., "a snare, noose," from snarl (v.1). Meaning "a tangle, a knot" is first attested c. 1600. Meaning "a traffic jam" is from 1933.

snarl (n.2)

"a sharp growl accompanied by a display of the teeth," 1610s, from snarl (v.2).

Others are reading

Advertisement
Definitions of snarl from WordNet
1
snarl (v.)
utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone;
The guard snarled at us
Synonyms: snap
snarl (v.)
make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise;
Bullets snarled past us
snarl (v.)
twist together or entwine into a confusing mass;
Synonyms: entangle / tangle / mat
snarl (v.)
make more complicated or confused through entanglements;
Synonyms: snarl up / embrangle
2
snarl (n.)
a vicious angry growl;
snarl (n.)
an angry vicious expression;
snarl (n.)
something jumbled or confused;
Synonyms: tangle / maze
From wordnet.princeton.edu