Snares

The term snares has two principal senses. In music, it refers to the wires stretched across the bottom head of a snare drum. The wires, or snare strands, vibrate against the drum's lower skin when struck, giving the instrument its characteristic sharp crack. In ordinary use, the extent of the snares' engagement, the wire material (steel is typical), and the tension controlled by the snare throw-off or strainer—along with the top head, shell construction, and tuning—shape the drum's brightness and sensitivity.

In trapping, a snare is a device that forms a loop around an animal and tightens as the animal moves away or struggles. Snares are used for various species and have many regional styles. Traps may be activated by a trip, pressure, or bait, and are usually anchored to the ground or vegetation. Because snares can cause injury or unintended capture, their legal status is regulated in many countries, and ethical wildlife-management practices discourage unnecessary suffering.

The term traces back to Old English snære or related Germanic roots. The dual meaning—musical snares and trapping devices—reflects separate historical developments: the snare drum’s wires and the animal snare’s loop share a focus on a catching or grabbing action, albeit in very different contexts.