/ snæg; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a problem or difficulty, especially one that is small, hidden or unexpected
SYN difficulty :
There is just one small snag—where is the money coming from?
Let me know if you run into any snags.
2.
an object or a part of an object that is rough or sharp and may cut sth
3.
( AustralE , NZE , informal ) a sausage
■ verb ( -gg- )
1.
snag (sth) (on / in sth) to catch or tear sth on sth rough or sharp; to become caught or torn in this way :
[ vn ]
I snagged my sweater on the wire fence.
The fence snagged my sweater.
[ v ]
The nets snagged on some rocks.
2.
( NAmE , informal ) to succeed in getting sth quickly, often before other people :
I snagged a ride from Joe.
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WORD ORIGIN
noun senses 1 to 2 and verb late 16th cent. (in sense 2 of the noun): probably of Scandinavian origin. The early sense stump sticking out from a tree trunk gave rise to a US sense submerged piece of timber obstructing navigation , of which sense 1 is originally a figurative use. Current verb senses arose in the 19th cent.
noun sense 3 1940s: of unknown origin.