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!.