Snarl
WordNet
noun
(1) Something jumbled or confused
"A tangle of government regulations"
(2) An angry vicious expression
(3) A vicious angry growl
verb
(4) Make more complicated or confused through entanglements
(5) Utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
"The sales clerk snapped a reply at the angry customer"
"The guard snarled at us"
(6) Make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise
"Bullets snarled past us"
(7) Twist together or entwine into a confusing mass
"The child entangled the cord"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From , frequentative of .
Noun
- A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle; entanglement; hence, intricate complication; embarrassing difficulty.
- The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.
Verb
- To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface.
- To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots; as, to snarl a skein of thread.
- To embarrass; to insnare.
- To growl, as an angry or surly dog; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds.
- To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms.