Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1808-1847, 1916
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
†SNAR, adj. Also snar(r)e, snaur. [snɑr]
1. Severe, strict, tart. Also in n.Eng. dial. Comb. snar-gab, abusive talk, acrimonious language. Deriv. snarroch, a sharp-tongued person, in comb. gabbie-snarroch, s.v. Gabbie.n.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
A snarre mistress.Lnk. 1825 Jam.:
Haud your snar-gab.Edb. 1916 T. W. Paterson Wyse-Sayin's xii. 10:
But the saftest haunlins o' the wicked are snarre an' snell.
2. Astute, sharp in one's dealings (Ayr. 1825 Jam., snaur); of a housewife: shrewd, attentive to her duties, managing.Dmf. 1825 Jam.:
A snare wife.Ayr. 1847 Ballads Ayr. (Paterson) II. 53:
The tentie guidwife, though baith frugal and snar.
3. Of things: firm, hard.n.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
Snarre corn, grain that feels firm and hard, when pressed in the hand.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Snar adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/snar>
