A snath is the shaft or handle of a scythe.
It's also been spelled sneath and sneathe (q.v. Webster 1913). Whichever you choose, they all come from the Middle English snede, first used in 1574.
Webster also thinks it could be Snatch, and adds:
Variously written in England snead, sneed, sneath, sneeth, snathe, etc.; in Scotland written sned.
Snath (?), v. t. [Cf. Icel. sneia to cut into alices, snia to cut; akin to AS. besndan, snian, G. schneiden, OHG. snidan, Goth. sneian to cut, to reap, and E. snath, snithe.]
To lop; to prune.
© Webster 1913.
Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.