English Explanatory Dictionary

snatch

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To grasp and remove quickly.
  2. To attempt to seize something suddenly.
  3. To take or seize hastily, abruptly, or without permission or ceremony.
  4. To steal.
  5. To take (a victory) at the last moment.
  6. To do something quickly in the limited time available.
noun
  1. A quick grab or catch.
  2. A short period.
  3. A competitive weightlifting event in which a barbell is lifted from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement.
  4. A piece of some sound, usually music or conversation.
  5. The vulva.
  6. Rapid, uncommanded jerking or oscillation of the ailerons of some aircraft at high Mach numbers, resulting from shock wave formation at transonic speeds.
  7. A brief period of exertion.
  8. A catching of the voice.
  9. A hasty snack; a bite to eat.
  10. A quibble.

Pronunciation

/snæt͡ʃ/ en-us-snatch.ogg

Word forms

snatch snatches snatching snatched

Etymology

From Middle English snacchen, snecchen (“to snap; seize”), from Old English *snæċċan, *sneċċan, from Proto-West Germanic *snakkjan, from Proto-Germanic *snakjaną (“to whiff, sniff, catch wind of; to taste-test, nibble”), related to Proto-Germanic *snakōną (“to breathe, blow, sigh”) and *snakkōną (“to blather, jabber, chatter”). Cognate with Middle Dutch snacken (“to snap [of a dog]”), Norwegian Nynorsk snaka (“to snatch [of animals]”). Related also to Dutch snakken (“to sob, pant, long for”), Low German snacken (“to chatter”), German schnacken (“to chat”), Danish snakke (“to chat”) and Norwegian snakke (“to chat”). Related to snack.

Synonyms

grab steal abduct abstract appropriate bag bandit bash and grab bone boost burgle burglarize borrow cheat chore commandeer confiscate convert cop cozen crib embezzle filch fleece flog gaffle gilravage half-inch heave heist jack kidnap knock off kipe kyper liberate lift loot make off with mill misappropriate mooch moonlight requisition nick nip own peculate pickpocket pilfer pinch pillage pirate plunder poach pocket prig purloin raid ransack rape

Derived words

baby snatching cap snatching chain-snatch cradle-snatch foresnatch have one's wig snatched outsnatch purse snatcher resnatch snatchable snatch and grab snatch and run snatchback snatch defeat from the jaws of victory snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory snatcher snatchproof snatch someone's edges snatch the pebble snatch victory from the jaws of defeat snatchy unsnatch upsnatch snatch block snatchless snatch loading snatch squad

Translations

Bulgarian: сграбчвам Czech: ukrást Czech: sebrat Czech: vytrhnout Czech: vyrvat Galician: ripar Ancient Greek: ἁρπάζω Hungarian: kitép Hungarian: kiragad Indonesian: rebut Indonesian: kedut Irish: sciob Latin: rapiō Latin: surpō Māori: kōhaki Māori: kōwhaki Middle English: grippen Middle English: gripen Occitan: agantar Occitan: sasir Swedish: roffa åt
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