Snubber
/ˈsnʌbər/noun
A device or person that checks, restrains, or abruptly stops something; also a person who snubs or rebuffs.
Did you know?The word is tied to the old verb *snub*, which originally meant to check or curb something sharply, and in maritime use a snubber literally helps arrest a rope’s violent pull.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern English
English
snubben
“To check, curb, or treat with a sharp rebuff; also to make a sudden stop.”
16th Century
English
snub
“A sharp rebuke or sudden check; later, to rebuff socially.”
Middle English
English
snibben
“To check, restrain, or reprimand.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*snupp- / *snub-
“A base associated with cutting off, nipping, or checking abruptly.”
Modern English
English
snubber
“Something that checks motion or a person who snubs.”