From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
sneak
adj : marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to
avoid being observed; "a furtive manner"; "a lurking
prowler"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a
surreptitious glance at his watch"; "someone skulking
in the shadows" [syn: furtive, lurking, skulking,
{sneak(a)}, sneaky, stealthy, surreptitious]
n 1: someone who prowls or sneaks about; usually with unlawful
intentions [syn: prowler, stalker]
2: someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police [syn:
fink, snitch, snitcher, stoolpigeon, stoolie,
sneaker, canary]
v 1: to go stealthily or furtively; "..stead of sneaking around
spying on the neighbor's house" [syn: mouse, creep,
steal, pussyfoot]
2: put, bring, or take in a secretive or furtive manner; "sneak
a look"; "sneak a cigarette"
3: make off with belongings of others [syn: pilfer,
cabbage, purloin, pinch, abstract, snarf,
swipe, hook, filch, nobble, lift]
4: pass on stealthily; "He slipped me the key when nobody was
looking" [syn: slip]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Sneak \Sneak\ (sn[=e]k), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sneaked
(sn[=e]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. Sneaking.] [OE. sniken, AS.
sn[imac]can to creep; akin to Dan. snige sig; cf. Icel.
sn[imac]kja to hanker after.]
1. To creep or steal (away or about) privately; to come or go
meanly, as a person afraid or ashamed to be seen; as, to
sneak away from company.
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You skulked behind the fence, and sneaked away.
--Dryden.
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2. To act in a stealthy and cowardly manner; to behave with
meanness and servility; to crouch.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Sneak \Sneak\, v. t.
To hide, esp. in a mean or cowardly manner. [Obs.] "[Slander]
sneaks its head." --Wake.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Sneak \Sneak\, n.
1. A mean, sneaking fellow.
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A set of simpletons and superstitious sneaks.
--Glanvill.
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2. (Cricket) A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; --
called also grub. [Cant] --R. A. Proctor.
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