A quick photograph taken without much preparation. It can also mean a brief look at a situation that shows its main features.
“Snapshot” was first used in the 19th century for a quick gunshot at a moving target, then borrowed by photography. It combines “snap,” suggesting sudden action, and “shot,” from shooting. The term moved from hunting to cameras and then to general descriptions.
Originally, a “snapshot” was something hunters did, not tourists. When cameras became common, people reused the word for quick, casual photos—same speed, less danger. Now we even talk about “data snapshots,” turning a gun metaphor into a tech one without blinking.
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