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1. To grab, esp. to grab a large
document or file for the purpose of using it with or without the
author's permission. See also BLT. 2. [in the Unix
community] To fetch a file or set of files across a network. See
also blast. This term was mainstream in the late 1960s,
meaning `to eat piggishly'. It may still have this connotation in
context. "He's in the snarfing phase of hacking -- FTPing
megs of stuff a day." 3. To acquire, with little concern for
legal forms or politesse (but not quite by stealing). "They
were giving away samples, so I snarfed a bunch of them."
4. Syn. for slurp. "This program starts by snarfing the
entire database into core, then...." 5. [GEnie] To spray
food or programming fluids due to laughing at the wrong
moment. "I was drinking coffee, and when I read your post I
snarfed all over my desk." "If I keep reading this topic, I
think I'll have to snarf-proof my computer with a keyboard
condom." [This sense appears to be widespread among mundane
teenagers --ESR]