/ snaɪp; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb [ v ] snipe (at sb/sth)
1.
to shoot at sb from a hiding place, usually from a distance :
Gunmen continued to snipe at people leaving their homes to find food.
2.
to criticize sb in an unpleasant way
► snip·ing noun [ U ]:
Aid workers remain in the area despite continuous sniping.
■ noun
( pl. snipe ) a bird with a long straight beak that lives on wet ground
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : probably of Scandinavian origin; compare with Icelandic mýrisnípa ; obscurely related to Dutch snip and German Schnepfe .