? Obs. Also 7 snic (snik) and snee, snick and sneer. [See SNICK OR SNEE.]
1. a. vb. To thrust and cut. b. adv. With thrusting and cutting. c. sb. = SNICK-A-SNEE 1.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett., I. xli. None must carry a pointed Knife about him; which makes the Hollander, who is us’d to Snick and Snee, to leave his Horn-sheath and Knife a Ship-board when he comes ashore.
1665. Marvell, Charact. Holland, 96. When, stagg’ring upon some Land, Snick and Sneer, They try, like Statuaries, if they can, Cut out each other’s Athos to a Man.
1697. Dryden, Virgil, Note on Georg. IV. 660. The monks … were at snic and snee with their drawn knives.
1802. James, Milit. Dict., Snick and snee, a combat with knives, such as the Dutch carry.
2. attrib. (with knife), = SNICK-A-SNEE 2.
1842. Borrow, Bible in Spain (1843), I. vii. 129. [The Spaniard] sprang up like a tiger, and unsheathing instantly a snick and snee knife, made an upward cut at the fellow’s cheek.
So † Snicking and sneeing vbl. sb. Obs.–1
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., To Rdr. If the humor of huffing be but a little further cocker’d,… snicking and sneeing will be nothing else in the world but writing of Book a la mode d’Angleterre.
