“† Sny,v.” listed on page 343 of volume IX, part I (Si–St) ofA New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [1st ed., 1919] † Sny,v.Obs. — 1 In 5snyȝe. [Of obscure origin.] intr. To move, proceed. [¶] a1400–50Alexander 4095 Þan snyȝes þar, out of þat snyth hill.., A burly best.
“†sny,v.” listed in theOxford English Dictionary [2nd ed., 1989]
First attested in 1674; its etymology is unknown.(Thisetymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)
“Sny,v.” listed on page 343 of volume IX, part I (Si–St) ofA New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [1st ed., 1919] Sny (snəi),v. Nowdial. Forms: 7snithe, 9snive; 7, 9snie, 8–9sny, 9snye; 7, 9snee. [Of obscure origin.] intr. To abound, swarm, teem, be infested,with something. [¶] 1674RayN.C. Words 44 ToSnee orsnie, to abound or swarm. Hesnies with Lice, he swarms with them. 1675V. AlsopAnti-sozzo 503 Certainly never did man so snithe with prejudices against Truth. c1746J. Collier (Tim Bobbin)View Lanc. Dial. Gloss.,Snye, to swarm. 1849HowittYear Bk. Country 242/32 The villages in the forest sny with children. 1882Echo 16 Jan. 4/1 The place literally ‘snives’ with rabbits. 1897J. PriorRipple & Flood xix, The watter snies wi’ fish.
“sny,v.” listed in theOxford English Dictionary [2nd ed., 1989]
“Sny,sb.” listed on page 343 of volume IX, part I (Si–St) ofA New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [1st ed., 1919] Sny (snəi),sb.Shipbuilding. [Cf.Snyingvbl. sb.] (See quots. 1846 and 1875.) [¶] a.1711W. SutherlandShipbuild. Assist. 54 In working up a round Buttock of a Ship, the lower Edge of the Planks will have a sudden Sny aft. 1846A. YoungNaut. Dict. 288 In shipbuilding, a plank is said to have sny, when its edge has an upward curve. [¶] b.c1850Rudim. Nav. (Weale) 149 The great sny occasioned in full bows..is..to be prevented by introducing steelers. 1875KnightDict. Mech. 2232/1Sny,..the trend of the lines of a ship upward from amidship toward the bow and the stern.
“sny,n.” listed in theOxford English Dictionary [2nd ed., 1989]
“Well, Mars Tom, my idea is like dis. It ain’t no use, wecan’t kill dem po’ strangers dat ain’t doin’ us no harm, till we’ve had practice — I knows it perfectly well, Mars Tom — ‛deed I knows it perfectly well. But ef we takes a’ ax or two, jist you en me en Huck, en slips acrost de river to-night arter de moon’s gone down, en kills dat sick fam’ly dat’s over on theSny, en burns dey house down, en —”
The wordsnye,sny orsnie has been used for many years to describe a channel behind an island, with slack current or partly dried, or some such similar feature.
