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Snarl

//ˈsnɑː(ɹ)l// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle.
  2. 2
    The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.
  3. 3
    something jumbled or confused wordnet
  4. 4
    An intricate complication; a problematic difficulty; a knotty or tangled situation.
  5. 5
    A growl, for example that of an angry or surly dog, or similar; grumbling sounds.
Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    an angry vicious expression wordnet
  2. 7
    A slow-moving traffic jam.

    "The biggest cities feel the most acute impact of the last mile – of the squads of trucks and vans, the parcel hubs and sorting centres, the parking snarls and the discarded boxes."

  3. 8
    A squabble.
  4. 9
    a vicious angry growl wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots. transitive

    "to snarl a skein of thread"

  2. 2
    To growl angrily by gnashing or baring the teeth; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds. intransitive
  3. 3
    make more complicated or confused through entanglements wordnet
  4. 4
    To become entangled. intransitive
  5. 5
    To complain angrily; to utter growlingly. transitive
Show 7 more definitions
  1. 6
    utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone wordnet
  2. 7
    To place in an embarrassing situation; to ensnare; to make overly complicated. transitive

    "November 9, 1550, Hugh Latimer, Sermon Preached at Stanford [the] question that they would have snarled him with"

  3. 8
    To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms. intransitive

    "It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little lapses of a pen, from which Virgil himself stands not exempted."

  4. 9
    make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise wordnet
  5. 10
    To be congested in traffic, or to make traffic congested. intransitive, transitive
  6. 11
    twist together or entwine into a confusing mass wordnet
  7. 12
    To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface; to repoussé

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English snarlen, frequentative of snaren (“to trap, tangle”). Equivalent to snare + -le.

Etymology 2

From Middle English snarlen, frequentative of snaren (“to trap, tangle”). Equivalent to snare + -le.

Etymology 3

Frequentative of earlier snar (“to growl”), perhaps from Middle Low German snorren (“to drone”), of probably imitative origin. Equivalent to snar + -le. Related to German schnarren (“to rattle”) and schnurren (“to hum, buzz”).

Etymology 4

Frequentative of earlier snar (“to growl”), perhaps from Middle Low German snorren (“to drone”), of probably imitative origin. Equivalent to snar + -le. Related to German schnarren (“to rattle”) and schnurren (“to hum, buzz”).

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