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Origin and history of sniper

sniper(n.)

"concealed sharpshooter; one who shoots from a hidden place," 1824, agent noun from snipe (v.). The birds were considered a challenging target for an expert shooter:

Snipe Shooting is a good trial of the gunner's skill, who often engages in this diversion, without the assistance of a dog of any kind; a steady pointer, however, is a good companion. [Sportsman's Calendar, London, December 1818]

also from 1824

Entries linking to sniper

snipe(v.)

"shoot ar (men) one by one at long range from a hidden place," 1773 (among British soldiers in India), in reference to hunting snipe as game, from snipe (n.). Compare sniper. The figurative use is by 1892. Related: Sniped; sniping.

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    Trends of sniper

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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