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2 PHRASE If you say that someone does something at a snail's pace , you are emphasizing that they are doing it very slowly, usually when you think it would be better if they did it much more quickly. [EMPHASIS ] □  The train was moving now at a snail's pace.

snai l mail N‑UNCOUNT Some computer users refer to the postal system as snail mail , because it is very slow in comparison with email.

snake /sne I k/ (snakes , snaking , snaked )

1 N‑COUNT A snake is a long, thin reptile without legs.

2 VERB Something that snakes in a particular direction goes in that direction in a line with a lot of bends. [LITERARY ] □ [V prep/adv] The road snaked through forested mountains.

snake|bite /sne I kba I t/ (snakebites ) also snake bite N‑VAR A snakebite is the bite of a snake, especially a poisonous one.

sna ke charm|er (snake charmers ) also snake-charmers N‑COUNT A snake charmer is a person who entertains people by controlling the behaviour of a snake, for example by playing music and causing the snake to rise out of a basket and drop back in again.

sna kes and la d|ders N‑UNCOUNT Snakes and ladders is a British children's game played with a board and dice. When you go up a ladder, you progress quickly. When you go down a snake, you go backwards.

snake|skin /sne I ksk I n/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Snakeskin is the skin of snakes used to make shoes and clothes.

snap ◆◇◇ /snæ p/ (snaps , snapping , snapped )

1 VERB If something snaps or if you snap it, it breaks suddenly, usually with a sharp cracking noise. □ [V ] He shifted his weight and a twig snapped. □ [V adv/prep] The brake pedal had just snapped off. □ [V n adv/prep] She gripped the pipe with both hands, trying to snap it in half. [Also V n] ● N‑SING Snap is also a noun. □  Every minute or so I could hear a snap, a crack and a crash as another tree went down.

2 VERB If you snap something into a particular position, or if it snaps into that position, it moves quickly into that position, with a sharp sound. □ [V n adv/prep] He snapped the notebook shut. □ [V adv] The bag snapped open. ● N‑SING Snap is also a noun. □  He shut the book with a snap and stood up.

3 VERB If you snap your fingers , you make a sharp sound by moving your middle finger quickly across your thumb, for example in order to accompany music or to order someone to do something. □ [V n] She had millions of listeners snapping their fingers to her first single. ● N‑SING Snap is also a noun. □ [+ of ] I could obtain with the snap of my fingers anything I chose.

4 VERB If someone snaps at you, they speak to you in a sharp, unfriendly way. □ [V with quote] 'Of course I don't know her,' Roger snapped. □ [V + at ] I'm sorry, Casey, I didn't mean to snap at you like that.

5 VERB If someone snaps , or if something snaps inside them, they suddenly stop being calm and become very angry because the situation has become too tense or too difficult for them. □ [V ] He finally snapped when she prevented their children from visiting him one weekend.

6 VERB If an animal such as a dog snaps at you, it opens and shuts its jaws quickly near you, as if it were going to bite you. □ [V + at ] His teeth clicked as he snapped at my ankle. □ [V ] The poodle yapped and snapped.

7 ADJ [ADJ n] A snap decision or action is one that is taken suddenly, often without careful thought. □  I think this is too important for a snap decision.

8 N‑COUNT A snap is a photograph. [INFORMAL ] □  …a snap my mother took last year.

9 VERB If you snap someone or something, you take a photograph of them. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] He was the first ever non-British photographer to be invited to snap a royal.

10 → see also cold snap