Snipe
/snaɪp/noun
A small wading bird with a long bill, or to shoot at someone from a hidden position.
Did you know?The bird name is very old in English, while the shooting sense arose much later from the idea of targeting a hard-to-see bird, and that stealthy image helped create the modern verb.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
snīpe
“a snipe, the bird”
Middle English
ME
snipe
“a snipe; later also a target for a concealed shot”
18th Century
English
to snipe
“to shoot at from concealment, especially at a distant or difficult target”
Modern English
English
snipe
“a snipe; to shoot from hiding; to make a sharp critical remark”