Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to steal, to pilfer; thus snaveller n., a thief, esp. one who thieves from children.

1781		G. Parker View of Society II 168: As soon as the Snaveller is up to this, he or she coaxes the child up some by-alley [...] and grabbles the whole.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 162: Snavel to steal by snatching, probably, or concealing any small property by piece-meal.
1827		Morn. Chron. (London) 7 July 4/5: This old scrabbling, gabbling, rabbling, snavelling lawyer.
1856		Sheffield Indep. 20 Dec. 8/5: He had employed a little girl to snavel the sheets.
1881		Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Jan. 4/4: The expressions made use of by the young noble himself when he subsequently found out that his family had ‘snavelled’ the money are not on record.
1895		Truth (Sydney) 31 Mar. 3/3: While he was looking for a double-six [...] the Speaker had snavelled the Spook.
1903		J. Furphy Such is Life 15: We had a bunch o’ keys at the camp. I had snavelled ’em at the railway station, las’ time we was at Deniliquin, thinkin’ they might come in useful.
1909		Observer (N.Z.) 27 Nov. 52/1: That there lot you went and snavvled ain’t a fair thing. Not by no means.
1912		Truth (Wellington) 6 Apr. 6/2: He [...] paid £35 snavelled by him in the course of his false pretensions.
1914		Truth (Melbourne) 10 Jan. 10/5: For he sees in half a moment / he have snavelled of a prize.
1926		E.G. Murphy ‘Snores’ Dryblower’s Verses 93: He had snared what he could snavel, / He had chewed it off in chunks.
1940		Tamworth Herald 14 Dec. 4/5: When the other boy aid what about ging ‘snavelling’ he meant ‘pinching’.

2. (US) to capture.

1863

Dundee Courier 27 July 3/1: In the Federal army a man who is captured is described as being ‘snavelled’ or ‘gobbled’.

3. to catch, to grab hold of.

1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 3 Jan. 4/7: Last week I tipped the gee-gee / The Cup would surely snavel.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 31 Oct. 13/4: The church appears to have ‘snavelled’ five acres, now one of the most valuable sites in West Melbourne.