snack: [15] Snack originally meant ‘bite’ (‘The … Tuscan hound … with his wide chafts [jaws] at him makes a snack’, Gavin Douglas, ?neid 1513). It was not used for a ‘quick meal’ (as in ‘have a bite to eat’) until the 18th century. It was borrowed from Middle Dutch snac or snack ‘bite’, which was closely related to snappen ‘seize’, source of English snap [15]. From snappen was derived the noun snaps ‘gulp, mouthful’, which was borrowed by German as schnapps ‘gin-like drink’, source of English schnapps [19]. And English snatch [13] is probably closely related to snack. => schnapps, snap, snatch
snack (v.)
c. 1300, "to bite or snap" (of a dog), probably from Middle Dutch or Flemish snacken "to snatch, snap; chatter," which Watkins traces to a hypothetical Germanic imitative root *snu- forming words having to do with the nose (see snout). The meaning "have a mere bite or morsel, eat a light meal" is first attested 1807. Related: Snacked; snacking.
snack (n.)
c. 1400, "a snatch or snap" (especially that of a dog), from snack (v.). Later "a snappish remark" (1550s); "a share, portion, part" (1680s; hence old expression go snacks "share, divide; have a share in"). Main modern meaning "a bite or morsel to eat hastily" is attested from 1757. Snack bar is attested from 1923. Commercial plural form snax attested from 1942 in the vending machine trade.
雙語例句
1. Kiwi fruit are just the thing for a healthy snack.
獼猴桃正是健康的小點心。
來自柯林斯例句
2. I only have time for a snack at lunchtime.
中午，我的時間只夠吃點心。
來自《權威詞典》
3. He converted his truck into a mobile snack bar.
他把貨車改成流動小吃店.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
4. You will have time for a hasty snack before the train leaves.