SNP
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Scottish National Party |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Government & Politics, Science & Engineering, Medical |
SNP has four meanings. The most common are Scottish National Party (UK government) and Single-nucleotide polymorphism (genetics); it can also stand for Special needs plan and Sodium nitroprusside.
Meanings of SNP at a glance
| # | SNP stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scottish National Party | Government & Politics › UK Government |
| 2 | Single-nucleotide polymorphism | Science & Engineering › Genetics |
| 3 | Special needs plan | Medical › Health Insurance |
| 4 | Sodium nitroprusside | Medical › Drug |
1. Scottish National Party
Government & Politics · UK Government Abbreviations
Party that campaigns for Scottish independence and has led the Scottish Government since 2007. It also contests UK general elections for Scottish seats at Westminster.
Example: The SNP called for a second independence referendum after the vote.
Founded in 1934, it won a majority at Holyrood in 2011, leading to the 2014 independence referendum, which independence lost 55 to 45 percent. It won 56 of Scotland's 59 Westminster seats in 2015 but fell to 9 in 2024. The party's colors are yellow and black.
2. Single-nucleotide polymorphism
Science & Engineering · Genetics Abbreviations
Position in the genome where people commonly differ by a single DNA letter, for example some carrying a C and others a T. SNPs are the most common type of genetic variation; a typical person differs from the reference genome at about 4 to 5 million sites, and consumer ancestry tests read several hundred thousand SNPs.
Example: The SNP rs4988235 near the LCT gene is strongly associated with lactose tolerance in Europeans.
Pronounced "snip." Strictly, a polymorphism is a variant common enough to be found in at least about 1% of a population; rarer changes are called single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). Most SNPs have no known effect. Each catalogued SNP has an "rs" identifier from the dbSNP database maintained by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information.
3. Special needs plan
Medical · Health Insurance Abbreviations
Medicare Advantage plan limited to people with particular needs: those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNP), people with certain chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart failure (C-SNP), or residents of nursing homes and similar institutions (I-SNP). Benefits and care coordination are tailored to that group.
Example: Because she has Medicare and Medicaid, she enrolled in a D-SNP with care coordination.
SNPs were created by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 and must include Part D coverage. Dual eligibles have special enrollment opportunities to join or change these plans. Industry speakers pronounce it "snip"; in genetics SNP means single nucleotide polymorphism.
4. Sodium nitroprusside
Medical · Drug Abbreviations
Potent, fast-acting IV vasodilator used in hypertensive emergencies and acute heart failure, given only by continuous infusion with close blood pressure monitoring. Its effect stops within minutes after the drip is turned off.
Example: Start SNP 0.3 mcg/kg/min via arterial line monitoring; titrate to SBP below 160.
Nitroprusside releases cyanide as it is broken down, so prolonged or high-dose infusions risk cyanide and thiocyanate toxicity, which is the subject of a boxed warning. Solutions are protected from light. The brand name Nipride is often used in hospitals. In genetics, SNP means single nucleotide polymorphism.
Related abbreviations
More UK government abbreviations
- PRA – Prudential Regulation Authority
- SDLP – Social Democratic and Labour Party
- SF – Sinn Féin
- SFO – Serious Fraud Office
- SpAd – Special adviser
- SSP – Statutory Sick Pay
- TfL – Transport for London
- UC – Universal Credit
See all 91 UK government abbreviations →
More genetics abbreviations
- scRNA-seq – Single-cell RNA sequencing
- sgRNA – Single guide RNA
- shRNA – Short hairpin RNA
- siRNA – Small interfering RNA
- snRNA – Small nuclear RNA
- SNV – Single-nucleotide variant
- ssDNA – Single-stranded DNA
- STR – Short tandem repeat
See all 57 genetics abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.