to snip off
2
3.7
- phrasal verb
- /snɪp ɔf/
- Informal
:
cortar
- Snip off any excess and tie a pretty bow on top.
- snip off a corner
- snip off a leaf
- snip off the tip
And she starts snipping off the spider's legs bit by bit.
- And she starts snipping off the spider's legs bit by bit.
- I drag it all the way down so it's straight, bring it forward, and then snip off the edges.
Examples
-
So you want to get your piping bag and you just want to snip off the end so you can slot your nozzle down.
-
I could snip off the ends myself with scissors without consulting a mirror when it grew too long and snarly.
Fiction book (1997) -
I drag it all the way down so it's straight, bring it forward, and then snip off the edges.
-
"I snipped off those runners that the mother plant sent out to root.
Fiction book (2002) -
Meanwhile, I've been snipping off the leaves as they turn yellow.
Blog text (11) -
"What were you doing in Phoenix?" I asked as I snipped off some basil leaves from the plant near the door.
Fiction book (1992) -
Delia raised her left arm, and the woman reached for her scissors and snipped off the tags that dangled from the zipper pull.
Fiction book (1995) -
He pulled a sharp pair of scissors from a kitchen drawer, carefully snipped off the sleeves, then cut the trunk of the jacket into two pieces.
Fiction book (1995) -
When she was finished sewing, she put the canteen into the cover, fastened the buttons, and snipped off the black threads sticking out of the seams.
Fiction book (1996) -
Please use scissors to snip off the damaged parts of the paper before wrapping the gift.
Synonyms
∞
1.5
To remove clothes or something from your body
190
4.1
To remove something by cutting it away from what it is attached to
95
2.6
Cut something to make it smaller or neater
55
4.6
To pinch quickly with fingers or teeth
51
1.6
To cut hair or plants shorter with scissors
41
2.7
To take something off from where it is attached
20
2.1
To cut something quickly and neatly with scissors
9
4.3
Pull things away one at a time
9
4.6
To cut a part from something with one quick move
9
3.5
To break a piece from something with a quick, sharp movement
5
3.4
To remove a part from something with a knife or tool
Cut off small parts by pinching or snipping
Antonyms
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to cut or remove something quickly and neatly' is directly derivable from 'snip' (to cut quickly and neatly) combined with the particle 'off' indicating removal; this verb+particle composition is compositional and follows a common English pattern. Cross-linguistically similar remove+cut constructions exist, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Snip off comes from the simple image of scissors making a quick small cut: you snip a piece and it drops off. That's why it means 'to cut or remove something quickly and neatly'.