snitch

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police
  2. verb take by theft
  3. verb give away information about somebody

Etymology

Origin uncertain. Perhaps an alteration of Middle English snacche (“a trap, snare”), snacchen (“to seize (prey)”, whence modern English snatch). Compare also Middle English snik snak (“a sudden blow, snap”). Alternatively, perhaps from a dialectal variant of sneak, from Middle English sniken, from Old English snīcan (“to creep; crawl”). More at sneak.

In classic literature

Synonyms

fink, snitcher, stoolpigeon, stool pigeon, stoolie, sneak, sneaker, canary

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