Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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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
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†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.
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"Snar adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/snar>
