snarl

SN'ARL, verb intransitive [This word seems to be allied to gnarl, and to proceed from some root signifyingto twist, bind, or fasten, or to involve, entangle, and thus to be allied to snare.] 1. To growl, as an angry or surly dog; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds; but it expresses more violence than grumble. That I should snarl and bit and play the dog. 2. To speak roughly; to talk in rude murmuring terms. It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little lapses of a pen, from with Virgil himself stands not exempted. SN'ARL, verb transitive 1. To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots; as, to snarl the hair; to snarl a skain of thread. [This word is in universal popular use in New England.] 2. To embarrass. SN'ARL, noun Entanglement; a knot or complication of hair, thread, etc., which it is difficult to disentangle.