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Snack

3 stages from Dutch to English.

Today it means a small amount of food eaten between main meals

Where does the word "snack" come from? It comes from Dutch snacken, passing through Middle English before entering English (mid-1700s onward).

1
Stage 1 of 3
snacken
Dutch · medieval
"to snap, bite"
an imitative word for the snap of teeth biting
2
Stage 2 of 3
snacke
Middle English · c. 1300
"to bite or snap"
borrowed as a verb meaning to snap or bite at something
3
Stage 3 of 3
snack
English · mid-1700s onward
"a small amount of food eaten between meals"
shifted from the act of biting to the small bite of food itself
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