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# snook

«snook» in Mova's school dictionary: **«Cock a snook» (UK, old-fashioned) — to make a rude…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a snook, snooks); phrase (cock a snook)

### meaning for a pupil

1) «Cock a snook» (UK, old-fashioned) — to make a rude, mocking sign by putting your thumb on your nose and spreading your fingers; also to show open disrespect for someone or a rule. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/snook/#m1)

2) A long, silvery fish of warm seas, caught for food and sport. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/snook/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In British writing, «cock a snook at» someone means to cheekily defy or mock them, like breaking a silly rule on purpose. Teachers may call the gesture rude. Anglers in the Caribbean and Florida fish for snook.

### examples

- The cheeky boy cocked a snook at the bus driver. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/snook/#x1)
- The little shop cocked a snook at the big supermarket by giving everything away free. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/snook/#x2)
- Thumbing your nose — cocking a snook — is a rude gesture. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/snook/#x3)
- Dad caught a snook on his holiday in Florida. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/snook/#x4)
- The new band cocks a snook at old rules about music. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/snook/#x5)
- The pupils cocked a snook at the rain and played outside anyway. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/snook/#x6)

### note

Rare word; mostly heard in «cock a snook» (here «cock» means «tip up», not a rude word). Another phrase for the gesture: «thumb your nose». Not to be confused with «snooker», the game.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «snook» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/snook/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.