snipe
Pronunciation: (snīp), [key] — n., pl. v. snipes, snipe sniped, snip•ing.
—n. - any of several long-billed game birds of the genera Gallinago (Capella) and Limnocryptes, inhabiting marshy areas, as G. gallinagoof Eurasia and North America, having barred and striped white, brown, and black plumage.
- any of several other long-billed birds, as some sandpipers.
- a shot, usually from a hidden position.
—v.i. - to shoot or hunt snipe.
- to shoot at individuals as opportunity offers from a concealed or distant position: The enemy was sniping from the roofs.
- to attack a person or a person's work with petulant or snide criticism, esp. anonymously or from a safe distance.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.