- Today's Word
Snibblesnarf
[SNIB-ul-snarf]
Definition
- (verb) To eat quickly and messily, usually out of extreme hunger or while distracted. It’s when you’re so famished or engrossed in something else that you devour your food without much regard for manners or appearance.
Example
After skipping lunch and working late, Tom snibblesnarf’d his dinner while catching up on emails, leaving a trail of crumbs on his keyboard.
Fun Fact
The word “snibblesnarf” is an example of a linguistic device called reduplication, where sounds or words are repeated with slight variations for emphasis or to create new meanings. In this case, “snibble” suggests quick, small movements (like nibbling), while “snarf” implies hasty consumption. This type of playful word creation is common in many languages and often produces words that are both fun to say and intuitively understandable. Interestingly, the act of eating quickly while distracted has been studied by nutritionists, who warn that it can lead to overeating as the brain doesn’t have time to register feelings of fullness.
(verb/noun) To hesitate or refuse to proceed; to thwart or hinder something.
The horse balked at the high fence, refusing to jump despite the rider’s encouragement.