Snare

UK: /ˈsnɛə^r/ US: /snɛr/ ,(snâr)

Inflections of 'snare' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

snares

v 3rd person singular

snaring

v pres p

snared

v past

snared

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

snare¹ /snɛr/   n., v., snared, snar•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. a device made up of a rope with a loop, for capturing small animals.
2. anything serving to trap someone unexpectedly;
   a trap.

v. [~ + object]

3. to catch with a snare;
   entrap;
   entangle.
4. to catch or involve by trickery:
   snared a top-ranking spy with a clever trick.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

snare¹  (snâr), n., v., snared, snar•ing. 
n. 

1. a device, often consisting of a noose, for capturing small game.
2. anything serving to entrap or entangle unawares;
   trap.
3. Surgery a wire noose for removing tumors or the like by the roots or at the base.

v.t. 

4. to catch with a snare;
   entangle.
5. to catch or involve by trickery or wile:
   to snare her into going.

• bef. 1100; Middle English (noun, nominal and verb, verbal); cognate with Old Norse snara, Middle Low German snare, Old High German snar(a)ha

snare′less, adj. 
snar′er, n. 
snar′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. See trap ¹.
• 2. net, seine.

snare²  (snâr), n. 

1. Music and Dance one of the strings of gut or of tightly spiraled metal stretched across the skin of a snare drum.

• Middle Low German snare or Middle Dutch snaer string; replacing Old English snēr string of a musical instrument
• 1680–90

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

snare / snɛə/ noun

1. a device for trapping birds or small animals, esp a flexible loop that is drawn tight around the prey
2. a surgical instrument for removing certain tumours, consisting of a wire loop that may be drawn tight around their base to sever or uproot them
3. anything that traps or entangles someone or something unawares

verb (transitive)

1. to catch (birds or small animals) with a snare
2. to catch or trap in or as if in a snare; capture by trickery

Etymology: Old English sneare, from Old Norse snara; related to Old High German snaraha

ˈsnarer noun

snare / snɛə/ noun

1. a set of gut strings wound with wire fitted against the lower drumhead of a snare drum. They produce a rattling sound when the drum is beaten
   See snare drum

Etymology: 17th Century: from Middle Dutch snaer or Middle Low German snare string; related to Gothic snōrjō basket