I. ˈsnəb verb
( snubbed ; snubbed ; snubbing ; snubs )
Etymology: Middle English snubben, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse snubba to scold, rebuke, Swedish dialect, to reproach, cut off; akin to Middle Low German snubbelen to chide, and perhaps to Old High German snabul beak — more at neb
transitive verb
1.
a. : to check or stop with a cutting retort or remark : restrain by reprimanding : rebuke
was quickly snubbed when he tried to intercede
b. archaic : upbraid , scold
c. : to treat with contempt or neglect so as to humiliate or repress : ignore with or as if with disdain : slight designedly
the ambassador was obviously snubbed
his suggestions were snubbed
whose only concerns were to make history and to snub the history that had already been made — Jean Stafford
also : to affect in a specified way by such treatment
snubbed into silence
2.
a. obsolete : to check or curb the growth or development of
b. chiefly dialect : to break off the end of : nip
snub branches of a tree
c. West : dehorn
snub cattle
3.
a. : to check suddenly (as a rope or chain that is running out)
snubbed short, like a downstream trout when fairly hooked — Century Magazine
b. : to increase the tension of (as a rope or belt) by turning around a post, pin, or pulley : tauten
c. : to check or restrain the motion of (an animal or thing) by turning an attached line around a post or other available anchoring point
snub a horse to a tree
as the lariat jerked tight, the rider instantly snubbed it tight around the saddle horn — D.A.Brown
d. : inhibit , suppress , restrain
air springs snubbed out all the undulating motion — Motor Life
e. : to extinguish (a cigarette) by stubbing — usually used with out
snubbed the butt out in my saucer — Mickey Spillane
4. : to turn the end of (a line) around a post or other available anchoring point : tie up short
let the wagons down the steep slope by means of rope snubbed around trees — G.R.Stewart
had snubbed the bronc's rein to his saddle horn — Colin Lofting
5. : to enlarge (an undercut in a coal mine) by blasting or other means so that the coal rolls forward when it is broken down
intransitive verb
1. : to snub someone or something : give snubs
the ability to snub and to tell useful fibs — R.H.Rovere
2. : to tie up short against a bank or wharf
one by one, the flatboats snubbed in at the bank — F.G.Slaughter
a raft well piloted would outrun a flood and have to snub up to the bank and wait for the floodwater to catch up — R.G.Lillard
3. : to pull a restraining line up taut
when a wind came up, the boat began to snub
the horse snubbed back from the hitchrack
4. : to enlarge an undercut in coal mining by blasting or other means so that the coal rolls foward when it is broken down
II. noun
( -s )
1. : an act or an instance of snubbing ; especially : a rebuff or slight intended to check a person or his activity
accepted every unjust rebuke and snub as part of the day's routine — R.S.Porteous
2.
a. : something that snubs
b. : snubbing post
no snub in that corral — A.B.Guthrie
3.
[ snub (III) ]
: snub nose
III. adjective
1. : used in subbing
snub rope
snub line
2. or snubbed : blunt , stubby , stumpy
allowed a flicker of indulgent amusement to show itself upon his snub features — Guy McCrone
a small pyramid … a snub figure, rather flat and inelegant — Isaac Rosenfeld
• snub·ness noun -es
IV. intransitive verb
( snubbed ; snubbed ; snubbing ; snubs )
Etymology: alteration of snob (I)
chiefly Midland : sob
V. noun
( -s )
chiefly Midland : sob