| 释义 |
▪ I. snoop, v.|snuːp|
[ad. Du. snoepen (LG. snôpen) in sense 1.]
1. intr. To appropriate and consume dainties in a clandestine manner. U.S.
1848Bartlett Dict. Amer. 318 A servant who goes slyly into a dairy-room and drinks milk from a pan, would be said to be snooping.
2. a. To go around in a sly or prying manner. Also with other advbs. orig. U.S.
In quot. 1832 unusually without following adv. or prep.
1832R. C. Sands Writings (1834) II. 291 The world has realms wherein to snoop, And I am not a noddy. 1840C. F. Hoffman Greyslaer II. iii. i. 105 Our scouts would make us believe that both he and Bradshawe are snooping about the country among the Tories. 1855Knickerbocker XLVI. 317 The level which the..engineers ‘snooped’ round and found out, hasn't ‘a parallel’ in all the adjacent region. 1864Kimball Was he successful? 178 Don't come snooping around to find out whether you sometimes go to the theatre. 1876Besant & Rice Gold. Butterfly xx, I see the gells snoopin' around with their eyes as soft as velvet. 1883Cent. Mag. Sept. 744 He had no right to come snoopin' around where I was at work. 1902H. L. Wilson Spenders iii. 26 Work..is something you want to get done; play is something you jest like to be doin'. Snoopin' up these gulches is both of 'em to me. 1931D. L. Sayers Five Red Herrings xviii. 185 It is hardly possible for a local policeman in a country place to snoop about, wheedling information out of the inhabitants. 1943J. B. Priestley Daylight on Saturday xxviii. 220 What are you doing here? Snooping around and then sending in a report in triplicate—eh? 1951J. Fleming Man who looked Back xv. 195 You..have all the fun snooping round and I've got to wait.
b. To pry into matters one need not be concerned with. Often const. on (a person). colloq.
1921Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 3 Apr. 9/3 There is the landlady who ‘snoops’ too much to suit her boarders. 1946[see ferret n.1 1 b]. 1950Chicago Daily News 14 Apr. 18/3 Another thing is that snoopers often get snooped on, in retribution. 1965M. Spark Mandelbaum Gate vii. 254 Has he had any opportunity to snoop? 1975R. Stout Family Affair vi. 55, I wouldn't ask you to snoop on a friend.
3. trans. To steal, to misappropriate. Also absol. rare.
1924Galsworthy White Monkey i. viii. 57 If we let you snoop copies, all the packers will snoop copies. Ibid. iii. viii. 270 Yes, and look at that little snooper himself; he snooped to keep her alive after pneumonia.
Hence ˈsnooping vbl. n. and ppl. a.
1936J. Steinbeck In Dubious Battle vii. 109 The health authorities are going to do plenty of snooping. If they can catch us off base, they'll bounce us. 1946K. Tennant Lost Haven (1947) xvii. 288 He was just a snooping tourist. 1952Manch. Guardian Weekly 14 Feb. 13 Whose job it is to engage in political snooping. 1965D. Francis Odds Against iv. 49 All very normal... It was my snooping which seemed unreal. 1974‘M. Innes’ Appleby's Other Story xi. 87 ‘If you want my help—’ ‘A snooping copper's help?’ 1977Rolling Stone 13 Jan. 30/2 She collected the results of her snooping in a manila folder.
▪ II. snoop, n. colloq. (orig. U.S.).|snuːp|
[f. the vb.]
1. = snooper 1; spec. one who makes official or other investigation, a detective.
1891Amer. Folk-lore IV. 160 Snoop.—This word I have frequently heard in New England, used both as a verb and as a noun. It implies sneaking, spying, prying around. 1929Amer. Speech V. 152 Snoop, one who noses something out. ‘That woman is a snoop.’ 1942New Statesman 19 Sept. 186/3 Snoops are the Service Police, corresponding to the Army's Military Police. 1944Dylan Thomas Let. 21 Sept. (1966) 267 There stinks a snoop in black. I'm thinking it Is Mr. Jones the Cake. 1948Time 3 May 19/3 Every cop,..stool pigeon and neighborhood snoop in Detroit was working overtime. 1970A. Sillitoe Start in Life vi. 318 His snoops already know I left Beirut. 1978R. Thomas Chinaman's Chance xxxvii. 360 The Congressman seems to have been an awfully fine snoop. But then, he used to be a cop.
2. An act of snooping, prying, or investigation; a surreptitious inspection. Freq. with (a)round.
1908G. H. Lorimer Jack Spurlock—Prodigal xi. 274 She couldn't keep her servants, for she was torn with dark doubts of their honesty... Life for her was one long snoop about the house. 1939‘N. Blake’ Smiler with Knife xii. 172 Why not have a snoop round in Chilton's study? 1969M. Pugh Last Place Left xxii. 167 ‘You're going to take this to Brunner's house?’ ‘Not straight. Once I've had a good snoop round it.’ 1972G. Lyall Blame Dead xv. 107, I did a little unpacking and then went for a general snoop. |