snook

Meanings

Noun

• A freshwater and marine fish of the family Centropomidae in the order Perciformes.
• Any of various other ray-finned fishes in several families.
• A disrespectful gesture, performed by placing the tip of a thumb on one's nose with the fingers spread, and typically while wiggling the fingers back and forth.

Verb

• To fish for snook.
• To sniff out.
• To lurk; to lie in ambush.

Origin

• Dutch snoek ("pike, Esox")
• From the 19th century. Unknown origin, possibly related to snoot or snout.