sniggle
verbEtymology See snig (“a kind of eel”) + -le (frequentative verbal suffix).
1
To fish for eels by thrusting a baited needle or hook into their dens.
- But rampant poaching (the correct term for catching a grown-up eel with bait is to “sniggle”, though elvers are caught with something more like a giant sieve) is now prompting authorities to crack down well in advance of next year’s season.[2012 December 1, “Transparent gold”, in The Economist, →ISSN:
2
To catch by this means.
3
Figuratively To ensnare.
- Derived terms
- sniggler