Snack Once Meant a Dog's Bite
A snack is a small quantity of food between meals. The word originally meant a snap or bite of the teeth.
A snack is a small amount of food eaten between meals. The word began sharper: Middle Dutch *snacken* meant to snap or bite, and in Middle English a *snack* was a dog's bite. The sense softened through the idea of a hasty bite of food, and by the 1700s meant a light meal. The related *snatch* keeps the older energy, and *snack bar* dates from the 1930s, when quick service became a selling point.
- A small meal. *An afternoon snack.*
- To eat between meals. *Stop snacking.*
- Snack bar — a quick-service counter. *A snack bar.*
- Middle Dutch — *snacken*, to bite. *The source.*
- Snatch — a related word. *Snatch.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | snack | A snack. |
| Plural | snacks | Snacks. |
| Verb | snack | Snack on it. |
| Compound | snack bar | A snack bar. |
| Dutch | snacken | To bite. |
- He had a snack before the game.Food.
- Stop snacking between meals.Verb.
- Snack once meant a dog's bite.Etymology.
Small meals in English
- Snack — anything eaten between meals
- Elevenses — a British mid-morning break
- Nibbles — small items served with drinks
- Bite — as in a bite to eat, a quick informal meal
- Tea — in parts of Britain, an early evening meal
Middle Dutch *snacken*, to snap or bite, related to *snatch*.
Did snack always mean food?
No. In Middle English it meant a snap or a dog's bite. The food sense grew from the idea of a hasty bite and settled by the 1700s.
Are snack and snatch related?
Yes. Both come from a Germanic root meaning to snap or seize quickly.