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] The sound of snarfing is
splork!.