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Sneak

//sniːk// adj, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective

1
In advance; before release to the general public. not-comparable
"The company gave us a sneak look at their new electronic devices."
2
In a stealthy or surreptitious manner. not-comparable
"I was able to get a sneak peek at the guest list."

Adjective

1
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed wordnet

Noun

1
One who sneaks; one who moves stealthily to acquire an item or information.
"My little brother is such a sneak; yesterday I caught him trying to look through my diary."
2
someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police wordnet
3
The act of sneaking
4
someone who prowls or sneaks about; usually with unlawful intentions wordnet
5
A cheat; a con artist.
"I can't believe I gave that sneak $50 for a ticket when they were selling for $20 at the front gate."

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6
a person who is regarded as underhanded and furtive and contemptible wordnet
7
An informer; a tell-tale.
8
A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; a daisy-cutter obsolete
9
A sneaker; a tennis shoe. US
"We would have been laughed off the street in Philadelphia if we were seen wearing sneaks. In the big city, the young population wore loafers or boots."
10
A play where the quarterback receives the snap and immediately dives forward.
11
Ellipsis of sneak preview abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"At a "sneak preview," of course, the public is also on hand and can make their reactions felt much to the humiliation of the principals. At a sneak of "The Sandpiper," starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the audience laughed so loud during one love scene that the dejected producer promptly cut the scene out of the picture. At a sneak of "The Outrage" in San Francisco it was decided not to give names at the outset to test public response: nearly half the audience left before the picture was 20 minutes old. […] The worst sneak, it is told, occurred one night when nearly the entire audience marched out on "Paris When It Sizzles” leaving the producer and director alone and forlorn in the theater."

Verb

1
To creep or go stealthily; to come or go while trying to avoid detection, as a person who does not wish to be seen. intransitive
"He decided to sneak into the kitchen for a second cookie while his mom was on the phone."
2
to go stealthily or furtively wordnet
3
To take something stealthily without permission. transitive
"I went to sneak a chocolate but my dad caught me."
4
pass on stealthily wordnet
5
To stealthily bring someone something. ditransitive
"She asked me to sneak her a phone next month."

Show 4 more definitions

6
make off with belongings of others wordnet
7
To hide, especially in a mean or cowardly manner. dated, transitive
"[Slander] sneaks its head."
8
put, bring, or take in a secretive or furtive manner wordnet
9
To inform an authority of another's misdemeanours. informal, intransitive, with-on
"If you sneak on me I'll bash you!"

Etymology

Etymology 1

Possibly from Middle English sniken (“to creep, crawl”), from Old English snīcan (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-West Germanic *snīkan, from Proto-Germanic *snīkaną (“to creep, crawl”), which is related to the root of snake. Compare Danish snige (“to sneak”), Swedish snika (“to sneak, hanker after”), Icelandic sníkja (“to sneak, hanker after”). Possibly related to snitch.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

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