What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Mouse vs Sneak - What's the difference?

mouse | sneak |

In lang=en terms the difference between mouse and sneak

is that mouse is to hunt or catch mice (the rodents), usually of cats while sneak is (informal, especially with on) to inform an authority about another's misdemeanours; to tell tales; to grass.

As nouns the difference between mouse and sneak

is that mouse is any small rodent of the genus mus while sneak is one who sneaks; one who moves stealthily to acquire an item or information.

As verbs the difference between mouse and sneak

is that mouse is to move cautiously or furtively, in the manner of a mouse (the rodent) (frequently used in the phrasal verb to mouse around ) while sneak is to creep or go stealthily; to come or go while trying to avoid detection, as a person who does not wish to be seen.

As an adjective sneak is

in advance; before release to the general public.

mouse

English

Noun

(mice)
  • Any small rodent of the genus Mus .
  • *
  • *:At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.
  • (lb) A member of the many small rodent and marsupial species resembling such a rodent.
  • A quiet or shy person.
  • (lb) (plural'' mice''' ''or, rarely,'' ' mouses ) An input device that is moved over a pad or other flat surface to produce a corresponding movement of a pointer on a graphical display.
  • (lb) Hematoma.
  • (lb) A turn or lashing of spun yarn or small stuff, or a metallic clasp or fastening, uniting the point and shank of a hook to prevent its unhooking or straighening out.
  • (lb)
  • :(Shakespeare)
  • A match used in firing guns or blasting.
  • (lb) A small model of (a fragment of) (Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory) with desirable properties (depending on the context).
  • Hypernyms

    * (small rodent) rodent

    Coordinate terms

    * (small rodent) rat * (input device) joystick, trackpad, trackball, pointing stick

    Derived terms

    * (as) quiet as a mouse * cat and mouse * church mouse * deer mouse * dormouse * fieldmouse * house mouse * kangaroo mouse * mouseable, mousable * mouse button * mouse click * mouse-ear * mouse mat * mouse pad * mouser * mousetrap * mousy * optical mouse * play cat and mouse * poor as a church mouse * when the cat's away the mice will play

    Verb

    (mous)
  • To move cautiously or furtively, in the manner of a mouse (the rodent) (frequently used in the phrasal verb to mouse around ).
  • To hunt or catch mice (the rodents), usually of cats.
  • (nautical) To close the mouth of a hook by a careful binding of marline or wire.
  • Captain Higgins moused the hook with a bit of marline to prevent the block beckets from falling out under slack.
  • (computing) To navigate by means of a computer mouse.
  • * 1988 , MacUser: Volume 4
  • I had just moused to the File menu and the pull-down menu repeated the menu bar's hue a dozen shades lighter.
  • * 2009 , Daniel Tunkelang, Faceted Search (page 35)
  • Unlike the Flamenco work, the Relation Browser allows users to quickly explore a document space using dynamic queries issued by mousing over facet elements in the interface.
  • (obsolete, nonce, transitive) To tear, as a cat devours a mouse.
  • * Shakespeare
  • [Death] mousing the flesh of men.

    Derived terms

    * mouse around * mouse over * mouser

    See also

    {{projectlinks , pedia , pedia , page2=mouse (computing) , commons , page3=Mus , commons , page4=Computer mouse , quote , page5=Mice , species , page6=Mus}}

    sneak

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who sneaks; one who moves stealthily to acquire an item or information.
  • My little brother is such a sneak - yesterday I caught him trying to look through my diary.
  • A cheat; a con artist; a trickster
  • I can't believe I gave that sneak $50 for a ticket when they were selling for $20 at the front gate.
  • An informer; a tell-tale.
  • (obsolete, cricket) A ball bowled so as to roll along the ground; a daisy-cutter
  • Verb

  • To creep or go stealthily; to come or go while trying to avoid detection, as a person who does not wish to be seen.
  • He decided to sneak into the kitchen for a second cookie while his mom was on the phone.
  • To take something stealthily without permission.
  • I went to sneak a chocolate but my dad caught me.
  • (dated) To hide, especially in a mean or cowardly manner.
  • * Wake
  • [Slander] sneaks its head.
  • (informal, especially with on) To inform an authority about another's misdemeanours; to tell tales; to grass.
  • If you sneak on me I'll bash you!

    Usage notes

    * The past and past participle snuck'' is primarily found in North American English, where it originated in the late 19th century as a dialectal form. It is still regarded as informal by some, but its use appears to be increasing in frequency and acceptability. It is occasionally found in British and Australian/Hiberno-English, too, though regarded as an American form. (See Oxford Dictionaries, ''The Cambridge Guide to English Usage'', ''Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary'', ''Webster's New World College Dictionary .) * To sneak'' (take) something is not the same as to ''steal'' something. In this sense, ''sneak'' typically implies trying to avoid a supervisor's or guardian's mild displeasure or mild discipline, while ''steal indicates a more serious action and often the person stealing does not know the owner of the item being stolen.

    Derived terms

    * sneaker * sneaky * sneakily * sneakiness * sneak peek * sneak preview * sneak thief * sneak away * sneak in * sneak off * sneak out * sneak up/sneak up on * sneak around

    Adjective

    (-)
  • In advance; before release to the general public.
  • The company gave us a sneak look at their new electronic devices.
  • In a stealthy or surreptitious manner.
  • I was able to get a sneak peek at the guest list.

    Derived terms

    * sneak peek * sneak preview