Meanings
interjection
- obsoleteAn oath.
'Snails , I'm almost starv'd with Love, and Cold, and one thing or other
c. 1613, Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, “Wit at Several Weapons. A Comedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act V, scene i
Origin
From God's nails, or His nails, i.e. those with which Jesus Christ was crucified.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
'snails. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'snails
MLA
“'snails.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'snails. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “'snails,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'snails.
Source: 'snails on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.