snoop

From Dutch snoepen (“to pry, eat in secret, sneak”). Related to Dutch and Low German snappen (“to bite, seize”), Dutch snavel (“beak, bill, pecker, neb”), German Schnabel (“beak, bill, mouth”). More at snap.

• IPA^(key): /snuːp/
• enPR: sno͞op
• Rhymes: -uːp

snoop (third-person singular simple present snoops, present participle snooping, simple past and past participle snooped)

1. To be devious and cunning so as not to be seen.
2. To secretly spy on or investigate, especially into the private personal life of others.

   If I had not snooped on her, I wouldn't have found out that she lied about her degree.

• snoop around

snoop (plural snoops)

1. The act of snooping
2. One who snoops

   Be careful what you say around Gene because he's the bosses' snoop.

3. A private detective

   She hired a snoop to find out if her husband was having an affair.

• 1996, T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Etymology, Oxford University Press, →ISBN

• Poons, no-ops, opson, poons, spoon