[Of obscure origin: in later use associated with, and partly f., SNUG a.1]
1. intr. Of persons (or animals): To lie or nestle closely or comfortably, esp. in bed; to snuggle. Now rare or dial. (Cf. SNUDGE v.2)
1583. Golding, Calvin on Deut., lxvii. 411. In stead of setting forward we retire backe, or els sit snugging stil in our owne slothfulnesse.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, I. (1622), 84. Betwixt them two the peeper tooke his nest, Where snuging well he well appear’d content.
1616. J. Lane, Contn. Sqr.’s T., vi. 5. While snugginge they in cabbins lay each one.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Fables (1694), 61. The loving couple lay snugging together.
1824. Lamb, Lett. (1888), II. 118. Let ’em all snug together, Hebrews and Proselytes of the gate.
transf. and fig. 1648. J. Beaumont, Psyche, II. vi. The Summer Clouds, snugging in laps of Flowers.
1648. Herrick, Hesper., Upon Roses. Under a Lawne … Some ruffled Roses nestling were: And snugging there, they seem’d to lye As in a flowrie Nunnery.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 86. The pieces of a body … are only clapt together at their little smoothnesses as close as they can snug.
b. With to or into.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selvedge of the World, 110. [An atom] so snugs to another, as not to be in another.
1687. Miége, Gt. Fr. Dict., II. To snug to his Bed-fellow.
1828–32. Webster s.v., A child snugs to its mother or nurse.
1888. Edmondston & Saxby, Home Naturalist, 85. After she and Wildie had snugged into bed.
2. With down: To nestle, settle down; to make oneself snug or comfortable.
1603. Dekker & Chettle, Grissill, 100. Then this eye lookes vp, yet downe I snug againe.
1898. Westm. Gaz., 4 March, 3/1. They turn into the Home for Asiatics, and snug down till Mr. Johnston … gets them a ship.
1904. ‘E. Nesbit,’ Phœnix & Carpet, ii. 26. ‘I’m a baby bear!’ said the Lamb, snugging down.
3. trans. a. To place or put snugly, neatly or comfortably.
1754. Goldsm., in Forster, Life (1871), I. 437. Every woman carries in her hand a stove with coals in it, which, when she sits, she snugs under her petticoats.
b. U.S. slang. ‘To conceal from the owner, to purloin’ (Bartlett).
a. 1859. in Bartlett, Dict. Amer. (ed. 2), 424. I ’d stuff watches, drop pocket-books,… but I ’d never condescend to snug dogs.
4. refl. To make (oneself) comfortable, secure or safe (cf. quots.); to bring (oneself) into something comfortable.
1795. Gazette of the U. S. (Phila.), 7 March (Thornton). [He will] keep up his credit and character, till be has snugged himself into a good estate.
1822. Eliza Nathan, Langreath, I. 5. His steward, who has snugged himself pretty well by robbing his master and oppressing the poor.
1856. Leisure Hour, V. 28 Aug., 559/1. We hear voices and steps just outside, but snug ourselves in the security of our retreat.
5. To make snug, comfortable or tidy; to set nicely in order. Freq. with up or down.
(a) 1787. Burns, Brigs of Ayr, 27. Potatoe-bings are snugged up frae skaith Of coming Winter’s biting, frosty breath.
1836. Haliburton, Clockm., Ser. I. xxxv. What the dickens was them two great rolls o’ canvass for, I seed snugg’d up and tied to your crupper? Ibid., xxxvii. Whenever you see a place all snugged up…, depend on it the folks are of the right kind.
1888. J. Burroughs, in Century Mag., Aug., 617/2. The tent was shut and everything snugged up.
1892. G. R. Lowndes, Camping Sketches, I. 44. We snugged things down quite elegantly, in expectation of visitors.
absol. 1885. Field, 19 Dec., 870/3. We snugged up for the night.
(b) 1890. Clark Russell, Marriage at Sea, iv. I snugged her in rugs.
1897. Advance (Chicago), 18 March, 342/1. They have become an ‘Army of Occupation,’ with huts snugged for winter.
b. To put or stow away snugly.
1859. H. W. Beecher, Life Thoughts, Ser. II. 55. He knows very well where it is snugged away.
1880. L. Wallace, Ben-Hur, 516. He beheld Esther,… a small figure snugged away under her father’s lap-robe.
1897. Daily News, 21 June, 4/5. You are comfortably snugged away under a wide-spreading arch.
6. Naut. To make (a ship, etc.) snug or trim, esp. by lashing or stowing movables, furling or reducing sails, lowering topmasts, etc., in preparation for bad weather; to furl (a sail).
1881. Daily Telegr., 28 Jan., 3/2. Bit by bit the canvas was snugged until the brig had nothing on her but her lower maintopsail [etc.].
1881. W. Clark Russell, Ocean Free-Lance, II. 177. The men were employed in snugging the decks. Ibid. (1890), Ocean Trag., I. ix. 189. They had snugged the ‘Bride’ to very small canvas.
b. Similarly with down. Also absol.
1893. Westm. Gaz., 28 Feb., 10/3. Having hove in their trawl they were all forward … snugging the vessel down, as they were threatened with more wind.
1899. ‘Q.’ (Quiller-Couch), Ship of Stars, xxiv. 239–40. Taffy … gave the order to snug down and man the cradle for shore.
