snitch
UK[snɪtʃ]US[snɪtʃ]
v
To tell someone in authority about something wrong that another person has done.
n
A person who tells someone in authority about something wrong that another person has done.
Etymology
The verb 'snitch', meaning to inform or steal, first appeared in late 18th-century British underworld slang. Its origin is obscure, though it may be related to a dialectal word 'snite', meaning to blow or pick one's nose, suggesting an unsavory or sneaky action. The noun form, referring to an informer, developed from the verb in the early 19th century. The word's journey from ambiguous slang to its specific modern meaning highlights how language evolves within subcultures before entering broader usage.
Analysis
The word 'snitch' is a simplex word of uncertain origin. It does not have clear, separable morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
He didn't want to snitch on his friends to the teacher.
In the movie, the gangster threatened the snitch.
Someone must have snitched, because the secret plan was discovered.