# sneaker

Pronunciation: US say "SNEE-kur" /ˈsnikɚ/; UK say "SNEE-kuh" /ˈsniːkə/

## Noun

1. An athletic shoe with a soft rubber sole, worn for sports or casual wear. *(dialectal, Atlantic Canada, Australia, New Zealand, US)*
   - Simple: A soft shoe with a rubber bottom, made for sports or running around.
   - _He laced up his sneakers for an early morning jog._
   - _Each sneaker had a thick rubber sole that gripped the track._
2. A person who moves or acts quietly and secretly to avoid being noticed.
   - Simple: A person who moves around quietly so that others do not notice them.
   - _He was a sneaker who always arrived late without anyone seeing him._
   - _The sneakers among the staff took long breaks whenever the boss stepped out._
3. A male that achieves matings by stealth, slipping past dominant males rather than competing directly for access to females.
   - Simple: A male animal that mates by sneaking in quietly instead of fighting other males.
   - _In this fish, a sneaker hovers near the nest and releases sperm during spawning._
   - _Researchers tagged several sneakers to track their reproductive success over a season._

## Noun

4. A small vessel holding a serving of drink, especially warm liquor or punch. *(archaic, UK)*
   - Simple: A small cup or container used for holding a drink, often a warm one.
   - _She poured a sneaker of mulled wine for each guest at the inn._
   - _Empty sneakers lined the tavern shelf after the long winter evening._
5. A large cup, or small basin, fitted with a matching saucer and a cover. *(archaic, India)*
   - Simple: A big covered cup, or small bowl, that comes with a saucer and a lid.
   - _He lifted the cover from the sneaker to let the hot broth cool._
   - _The tea set included two sneakers, each with its own saucer and lid._

## Origin

Formed from "sneak" plus the suffix "-er." The sense referring to the shoes points to how quiet they are to walk in.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/sneaker (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).