rhizoverbBeta
DictionarysnipQuick cut
verb / noun

snip

SNIP/snɪp/

A small piece cut away with scissors.

A small snip of paper falls beside the woman's scissors.

A young adult South Asian woman makes short, quick snips along the edge of plain paper, with small freshly cut scraps falling onto a bare tabletop.
Etymology
snipDutch or Low Germanto snip, shred

Snip probably traces to snippen, an imitative word for cutting or shredding. English first used the noun for a small piece of cloth cut off, then formed the verb for making a quick cut.

In context

Chronicle - Medieval History Documentaries17:35
romantic idea of using a pretty quill, and but we don't use them like that. We We cut the ends off cuz they get in the way. And uh we snip the barbs and use the the pen like that.
What It Was Like To Live On A Medieval Farm As A Peasant | Tudor Monastery | Chronicle

More examples

  • She saves colorful snips of fabric for her quilt.
  • A snip of paper falls as he trims the edge.
  • The barber brushes the snips of hair from my shoulders.

Forms

snip · snips · snipped · snipping

snippet noun — A small piece or brief written extract.

Similar words

scrap
Any small leftover piece, whether cut off or not.
clipping
A piece trimmed off, often from plants or newspapers.
offcut
A leftover piece from cutting, not necessarily with scissors.