different between swack vs snack

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /swæk/

Etymology 1

From Scots swack, from Middle English swac (“weak”), from Old English *swæc (found in derivative swæceh?ow (“weakmindedness, nonsense”)), from Proto-West Germanic *swak (“weak”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian swäk, West Frisian swak, Dutch zwak, German Low German swack, German schwach.

Adjective

swack (comparative swacker, superlative swackest)

1. (Scotland) Lithe; nimble.
   • 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), p. 37:

     it came the turn of a brave young childe with a red head and the swackest legs you ever saw, […] and as soon as he began the drill you saw he'd carry off the prize.

Synonyms

• gracile, svelte, willowy; see also Thesaurus:slender and Thesaurus:flexible

Etymology 2

Unknown.

Noun

swack (plural swacks)

1. (slang) A large number or amount of something.

   She gave me a swack of books.

Etymology 3

Considered dialect by Wright, but now widespread. Scottish National Dictionary proposes an origin in Old Scots (Middle English) swak ("to throw violently"). Compare Scots swak, swack (“to throw with violent force, dash", also "a hard blow or whack”). Compare also Middle Dutch swacken (“to shake, wave”).

Noun

swack (plural swacks)

1. Synonym of smack
   1. A sharp blow.
   2. The sound of a sharp blow.
   3. A wet sound such as a loud kiss.
   4. A striking stimulus.
2. An attack, a swipe.
3. A single attempt or instance of taking action; a crack; a go.
4. clout; influence.
5. A gulp or hearty swallow.

Verb

swack (third-person singular simple present swacks, present participle swacking, simple past and past participle swacked)

1. To smack.
   1. To slap or hit.
   2. To make a swack (sound).
2. To consume with hearty enjoyment.
3. To labour; to exert an effort.

Adverb

swack (comparative more swack, superlative most swack)

1. With a swack, to the point of touching.

Etymology 4

Noun

swack (plural swacks)

1. A bum or petty thief.

References

• “swack” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.
• Wright, Joseph (1904) The English Dialect Dictionary?^[1], volume 5, Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 859

Anagrams

• Wacks, cawks, wacks

Lower Sorbian

Etymology

swak +? -k

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /swat?sk/

Noun

swack m

1. Diminutive of swak (brother-in-law)

Declension

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /snæk/
• Rhymes: -æk

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch snacken (“to snack”).

Noun

snack (plural snacks)

1. A light meal.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:meal

2. An item of food eaten between meals.
3. (slang) A very sexy and attractive person.
   • 2008, Scott Sherman, First You Fall: A Kevin Connor Mystery, Alyson Publications:

     Up close, he was a total snack. “That was pretty slick.” “Well.” He cocked his head, “I'm a pretty slick guy.” “I'm Kevin,” I said. “Romeo,” he put out his hand. “You're kidding.”

   • 2019, Loy A. Webb, The Light, Concord Theatricals (?ISBN), page 22:

     You were looking like a snack. I was looking like a snack. We were finally going to do what two snacks do... I immediately went into my routine. Covers on. Lights off. But you Mr. Tate...you softly grabbed my hand, kissed it, and turned the lights back on.

   • 2020, Gena Showalter, Prince of Stone, HQN Books (?ISBN):

     Her confusion amped up. But so did her attraction. He was a total snack.

Alternative forms

• (attractive person): snacc

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• munchies
• fast food
• takeaway

Verb

snack (third-person singular simple present snacks, present participle snacking, simple past and past participle snacked)

1. To eat a light meal.
2. To eat between meals.

Derived terms

• snack down

Translations

Etymology 2

See snatch (transitive verb). Ultimately of the same origin as the word under Etymology 1, but perhaps through a different source.

Noun

snack (plural snacks)

1. (obsolete) A share; a part or portion.

Verb

snack (third-person singular simple present snacks, present participle snacking, simple past and past participle snacked)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To snatch.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To bite.
3. (obsolete, transitive) To share.

Anagrams

• nacks

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English snack, from Middle Dutch snacken (from which snakken).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sn?k/

Noun

snack m (plural snacks, diminutive snackje n)

1. snack

Derived terms

• snackbar

Verb

snack

1. first-person singular present indicative of snacken
2. imperative of snacken

French

Etymology

From English snack, from Middle Dutch snacken.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /snak/

Noun

snack m (plural snacks)

1. snack bar

Synonyms

• snack-bar

Further reading

• “snack” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?snak/, [?znak]

• IPA^(key): /es?nak/, [ez?nak]

Noun

snack m (plural snacks)

1. snack

Swedish

Etymology

Nominalization of snacka (“to chat, to talk”).

Pronunciation

Noun

snack n (uncountable)

1. (colloquial) talk, speech

Declension

Related terms

• snacka

Derived terms

• snackis
• skitsnack
• snicksnack