snail

snail
snail (n.) O.E. snægl, from P.Gmc. *snagilas (Cf. O.S. snegil, O.N. snigill, M.H.G. snegel, dialectal Ger. Schnegel, O.H.G. snecko, Ger. Schnecke "snail"), from root *snag-, *sneg- "to crawl" (see SNAKE (Cf. snake) (n.)). The word essentially is a dim. form of O.E. snaca "snake," lit. "creeping thing." Also formerly used of slugs. Symbolic of slowness since at least c.1000; snail's pace is attested from c.1400.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Snail — (sn[=a]l), n. [OE. snaile, AS. sn[ae]gel, snegel, sn[ae]gl; akin to G. schnecke, OHG. snecko, Dan. snegl, Icel. snigill.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) (a) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial air breathing gastropods belonging to the genus Helix and many… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • snail — snail; snail·er; snail·ery; snail·ish; snail·ish·ly; …   English syllables

  • snail — [sneıl] n [: Old English; Origin: snAgl] 1.) a small soft creature that moves very slowly and has a hard shell on its back 2.) at a snail s pace extremely slowly ▪ Traffic was moving at a snail s pace …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • snail — [ sneıl ] noun count a small animal that has a soft body, no legs, and a hard shell on its back. Snails move very slowly. at a snail s pace very slowly …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • snail — ► NOUN ▪ a slow moving mollusc with a spiral shell into which the whole body can be withdrawn. ORIGIN Old English …   English terms dictionary

  • snail — [snāl] n. [ME snaile < OE snægl, akin to Ger dial. schnägel, ON snigill < IE base * sneg , to creep > SNAKE, SNEAK] 1. any of a large number of slow moving gastropods living on land or in water and having a spiral protective shell: some… …   English World dictionary

  • Snail — For other uses, see Snail (disambiguation). For sea snails, see Sea snail. For slugs, see Slug. Helix pomatia, a species of land snail …   Wikipedia

  • snail — [[t]sne͟ɪl[/t]] snails 1) N COUNT A snail is a small animal with a long, soft body, no legs, and a spiral shaped shell. Snails move very slowly. 2) PHRASE: PHR after v (emphasis) If you say that someone does something at a snail s pace, you are… …   English dictionary

  • Snail —    1) Heb. homit, among the unclean creeping things (Lev. 11:30). This was probably the sand lizard, of which there are many species in the wilderness of Judea and the Sinai peninsula.    2) Heb. shablul (Ps. 58:8), the snail or slug proper.… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • snail — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ edible ▪ aquatic, land, marine, pond, sea, water SNAIL + NOUN ▪ she …   Collocations dictionary

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