Snitch irate to be missing tips (3)
I believe the answer is:
rat
'snitch' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'irate to be missing tips' is the wordplay.
'to be missing tips' indicates the central letters (the letters at the tips are removed).
The central letters of 'irate' are 'RAT'.
(Other definitions for rat that I've seen before include "one not going down with ship" , "Treacherous rodent" , "Contemptible person" , "Cad" , "Inform" .)