Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Comfortably sheltered and warm; cozy.
  • adjective Small but well arranged: synonym: comfortable.
  • adjective Closely secured and well built; compact.
  • adjective Close-fitting.
  • adjective Nautical Seaworthy.
  • adjective Offering freedom from financial worry.
  • adjective Safe; secure.
  • intransitive verb To make snug or secure.
  • intransitive verb To nestle; snuggle.
  • noun A very small private room in a pub.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Trim; compact; especially, protected from the weather; tight; comfortable.
  • Fitting close, but not too close; of just the size to accommodate the person or thing contained: as, a snug coat; a snug fit.
  • Lying close; closely, securely, and comfortably placed or circumstanced: as, the baby lay snug in its cradle.
  • Close-concealed; not exposed to notice.
  • Cozy; agreeable owing to exclusion of disagreeable circumstances and persons; also, loosely, agreeable in general.
  • noun In machinery, a projection or abutment which holds firmly or binds by a wedge-like action another piece in contact with it, or which limits the motion of a part in any direction.
  • noun In a steam-engine, one of the catches on the eccentric pulley and intermediate shaft, by means of which the motion of the shaft is transmitted through the eccentric to the slide-valves.
  • To move so as to lie close; snuggle: often with up and to: as, a child snugs (up) to its bedfellow; also, to move so as to be close.
  • To make smooth and compact; in rope-manuf., to finish (rope) by rubbing down the fuzzy projecting fibers. Also slick and finish.
  • To put in a snug position; place snugly; bring or move close; snuggle: often reflexive.
  • Snugly.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb rare To place snugly.
  • transitive verb To rub, as twine or rope, so as to make it smooth and improve the finish.
  • noun (Mach.) Same as lug, n., 3.
  • adjective Close and warm.
  • adjective Close; concealed; not exposed to notice.
  • adjective Compact, convenient, and comfortable.
  • intransitive verb To lie close; to snuggle; to snudge; -- often with up, or together.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun UK small, comfortable back room in a pub
  • adjective comfortable; cosy (cozy); satisfactory
  • adjective close-fitting
  • verb To make secure or snug.
  • verb To snuggle or nestle.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective offering safety; well protected or concealed
  • adjective enjoying or affording comforting warmth and shelter especially in a small space
  • adjective well and tightly constructed
  • noun a small secluded room
  • adjective fitting closely but comfortably

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish snygg, neat, trim.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Short for snuggery.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From dialectical English snug (tight, handsome), maybe from Proto-Norse *snaggwu-. Compare Icelandic snöggur (smooth), Old Danish snög (neat), Swedish snygg.

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Examples

  • He was fairly physical—what we call snug—but I loved the contact.

    heartbreak &triumph Trisia Tomanelli 2005

  • He was fairly physical—what we call snug—but I loved the contact.

    heartbreak &triumph Trisia Tomanelli 2005

  • "That is what I call snug," said Randy complacently.

    Canoe Boys and Campfires Adventures on Winding Waters William Murray Graydon 1905

  • "I suppose," said the Prince, putting his hands in his pockets and gazing about the room with an appearance of cheerful interest, "this is what one calls a snug little place."

    The Princess Priscilla's Fortnight Elizabeth von Arnim 1903

  • Never have had any problems but believe in snug not cranked.

    Tighten Chokes, Lighten Up 2009

  • For them there was no shelter from the cold, no shrewd crawling to leeward in snug nooks.

    THE SCORN OF WOMEN 2010

  • For them there was no shelter from the cold, no shrewd crawling to leeward in snug nooks.

    Jack London Play:The Scorn of Women 2010

  • Never have had any problems but believe in snug not cranked.

    Tighten Chokes, Lighten Up 2009

  • His whole conversation on snugness revolves around fictional children who hide or sleep in snug places within the following books: The Wind in the Willows, Heidi, The Secret Garden, and the stories of Beatrix Potter.

    Feeling Like a Kid (copy) ____Maggie 2007

  • His whole conversation on snugness revolves around fictional children who hide or sleep in snug places within the following books: The Wind in the Willows, Heidi, The Secret Garden, and the stories of Beatrix Potter.

    Archive 2007-12-01 ____Maggie 2007

Comments

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  • Another name for a private bar.

    February 14, 2008