snib

English

Etymology

Uncertain.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /snɪb/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪb

Noun

snib (plural snibs)

1. (Scotland, Australia) A latch or fastening for a door, window etc.
   • 2008, James Kelman, Kieron Smith, Boy, Penguin, published 2009, page 99:

     He did not like me coming in except if I was going to bed. I heard him saying to my maw about a snib for the door.

2. (obsolete) A reprimand; a snub.
   • 1601 (date written), Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], What You Will, London: […] G[eorge] Eld, for Thomas Thorppe, published 1607, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     ill - strain'd snibs

Verb

snib (third-person singular simple present snibs, present participle snibbing, simple past and past participle snibbed)

1. (transitive, Australia, Scotland) To latch (a door, window, etc.).
   • 1890 February, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Sherlock Holmes Gives a Demonstration”, in The Sign of Four (Standard Library), London: Spencer Blackett […], →OCLC, page 90:

     Window is snibbed on the inner side. Framework is solid. No hinges at the side. Let us open it.

   • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 162:

     All moved to the front street, where Grierson snibbed on his tail-light and turned to ask the trooper, "They've got the main road ploughed up farther on, haven't they?"

Anagrams

• ISBN, NiSb, bins, nibs