snapper

Etymology 1

snap + -er.

noun

1. One who, or that which, snaps.
   a snapper-up of bargains
   the snapper of a whip
2. Any of approximately 100 different species of fish.
   1. (Australia, New Zealand) The fish Chrysophrys auratus, especially an adult of the species.
      Heigh-ho ye trawler men come on, forget the snapper and the prawn, 1971, Harry Robertson, “Ballina Whalers” (lyrics)
   2. (US) Any of the family Lutjanidae of percoid fishes, especially the red snapper.
3. (Ireland, slang) A (human) baby.
   1990, Roddy Doyle, The Snapper:
4. (American football) The player who snaps the ball to start the play.
5. (US) Small, paper-wrapped item containing a minute quantity of explosive composition coated on small bits of sand, which explodes noisily when thrown onto a hard surface.
6. (slang) One who takes snaps; a photographer.
   The police snapper was on his tiptoes, angling for a vertical shot of the body. 2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 22
7. (US, informal) The snapping turtle.
8. The green woodpecker, or yaffle (Picus viridis).
9. A snap beetle (family Elateridae).
10. (historical) A telegraphic device with a flexible metal tongue for producing clicks like those of the sounder.
11. (obsolete) A percussive musical instrument consisting of a pair of items to be snapped together; castanet or bones.
12. (US, colloquial) A string bean.
13. (slang) The vulva.
    At thirty-nine, her snapper was snapping at practically every man that appeared halfway decent and had a pulse. 2004, Mary B. Morrison, Never Again Once More
    Then, get this, when we finished, she grabbed what looked like one of her husband's T-shirts, wiped her snapper, threw it into the back, […] 2010, Phil Torcivia, Nice Meeting You
14. (slang, entertainment) A punchline.
    I don't want a pause before the snapper. 1976, Larry Wilde, How the Great Comedy Writers Create Laughter, page 101
    The end should always be a “snapper.” The punchline of a monologue is extremely important. Find a good one. 2011, Judy Kerr, Acting is Everything
    In fact, he began the comic by coming up with the final panel, which he called “the snapper,” and worked backward. 2018, Michelle Ann Abate, Funny Girls, page 55

Etymology 2

table From Middle English snaperen, likely formed with the frequentative suffix -eren (Modern English -er). For the stem compare Norwegian Nynorsk snåva (“to stumble”), Swedish snäva (“to stumble”), obsolete German schnappen (“to totter, to limp”), Middle High German snaben, Middle Low German snaven (“to stumble”).

verb

1. To stumble, to trip.
2. (figurative) To fall into error; to make a mistake, and especially to stumble morally.

noun

1. A stumble, a trip.
2. An error, a blunder, especially a moral slip-up.