snare

Where does the word "snare" come from? It comes from Old Norse snara, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).

Snare’s story begins in Old Norse: snara meant “a noose, a trap.” A noose, a trap made of a looped cord. It reached English by 1200s as snare. Settled as the English word for a trap used to catch animals. Today, snare means a trap for catching animals, or a device or situation that entangles someone.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval snara "a noose, a trap", a noose, a trap made of a looped cord.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1200s snare "a trap for catching animals, or any deceptive trap", settled as the English word for a trap used to catch animals.