Adjacent Words

Snatch definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SNATCH, v.t. pret. and pp. snatched or snacht.
1. To seize hastily or abruptly. When half our knowledge we must snatch, not take.
2. To seize without permission or ceremony; as, to snatch a kiss.
3. To seize and transport away; as, snatch me to heaven.
SNATCH, v.i. To catch at; to attempt to seize suddenly. Nay, the ladies too will be snatching. He shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry. Isaiah 9.
SNATCH, n.
1. A hasty catch or seizing.
2. A catching at or attempt to seize suddenly.
3. A short fit of vigorous action; as a snatch as weeding after a shower.
4. A broken or interrupted action; a short fit or turn. They move by fits and snatches. We have often little snatches of sunshine.
5. A shuffling answer. [Little used.]
SNATCH'-BLOCK, n. A particular kind of block used in ships, having an opening in one side to receive the bight of a rope.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a small fragment; "overheard snatches of their conversation" [syn: snatch, bit]
2: obscene terms for female genitals [syn: cunt, puss, pussy, slit, snatch, twat]
3: (law) the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment [syn: kidnapping, snatch]
4: a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted overhead in one rapid motion
5: the act of catching an object with the hands; "Mays made the catch with his back to the plate"; "he made a grab for the ball before it landed"; "Martin's snatch at the bridle failed and the horse raced away"; "the infielder's snap and throw was a single motion" [syn: catch, grab, snatch, snap] v
1: to grasp hastily or eagerly; "Before I could stop him the dog snatched the ham bone" [syn: snatch, snatch up, snap]
2: to make grasping motions; "the cat snatched at the butterflies"
3: take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom; "The industrialist's son was kidnapped" [syn: kidnap, nobble, abduct, snatch]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English snacchen to snap, seize; akin to Middle Dutch snacken to snap at Date: 13th century intransitive verb to attempt to seize something suddenly transitive verb to take or grasp abruptly or hastily <snatch up a pen> <snatched the first opportunity>; also to seize or take suddenly without permission, ceremony, or right <snatched a kiss> Synonyms: see take • snatcher noun II. noun Date: 1563 1. a. a brief period <caught snatches of sleep> b. a brief, fragmentary, or hurried part ; bit <caught snatches of the conversation> 2. a. a snatching at or of something b. slang an act or instance of kidnapping 3. a lift in weight lifting in which the weight is raised from the floor directly to an overhead position in a single motion — compare clean and jerk, press 4. usually vulgar the female pudenda

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v.tr. 1 seize quickly, eagerly, or unexpectedly, esp. with outstretched hands. 2 steal (a wallet, handbag, etc.). 3 secure with difficulty (snatched an hour's rest). 4 (foll. by away, from) take away or from esp. suddenly (snatched away my hand). 5 (foll. by from) rescue narrowly (snatched from the jaws of death). 6 (foll. by at) a try to seize by stretching or grasping suddenly. b take (an offer etc.) eagerly. --n. 1 an act of snatching (made a snatch at it). 2 a fragment of a song or talk etc. (caught a snatch of their conversation). 3 US sl. a kidnapping. 4 (in weight-lifting) the rapid raising of a weight from the floor to above the head. 5 a short spell of activity etc. Phrases and idioms: in (or by) snatches in fits and starts. Derivatives: snatcher n. (esp. in sense 3 of n.). snatchy adj. Etymology: ME snecchen, sna(c)che, perh. rel. to SNACK

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snatch Snatch, n. [Cf. AS. sn[=i]?an to cut, to mow, sn?d a bite, bit snip.] The handle of a scythe; a snead. [Variously written in England snead, sneed, sneath, sneeth, snathe, etc.; in Scotland written sned.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snatch Snatch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snatched; p. pr. & vb. n. Snatching.] [OE. snachen, snechen; akin to D. snakken to gasp, to long (for), to desire. Cf. Snack, n., Sneck.] 1. To take or seize hastily, abruptly, or without permission or ceremony; as, to snatch a loaf or a kiss. When half our knowledge we must snatch, not take. --Pope. 2. To seize and transport away; to rap. ``Snatch me to heaven.'' --Thomson. Syn: To twitch; pluck; grab; catch; grasp; gripe.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snatch Snatch, v. i. To attempt to seize something suddenly; to catch; -- often with at; as, to snatch at a rope.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Snatch Snatch, n. 1. A hasty catching or seizing; a grab; a catching at, or attempt to seize, suddenly. 2. A short period of vigorous action; as, a snatch at weeding after a shower. --Tusser. They move by fits and snatches. --Bp. Wilkins. 3. A small piece, fragment, or quantity; a broken part; a scrap. We have often little snatches of sunshine. --Spectator. Leave me your snatches, and yield me a direct answer. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(snatches, snatching, snatched) 1. If you snatch something or snatch at something, you take it or pull it away quickly. Mick snatched the cards from Archie's hand... He snatched up the telephone... The thin wind snatched at her skirt. VERB: V n prep, V n with adv, V at n 2. If something is snatched from you, it is stolen, usually using force. If a person is snatched, they are taken away by force. If your bag is snatched, let it go... VERB: usu passive, be V-ed 3. If you snatch an opportunity, you take it quickly. If you snatch something to eat or a rest, you have it quickly in between doing other things. I snatched a glance at the mirror... You can even snatch a few hours off... VERB: V n, V n 4. If you snatch victory in a competition, you defeat your opponent by a small amount or just before the end of the contest. The American came from behind to snatch victory by a mere eight seconds... VERB: V n 5. A snatch of a conversation or a song is a very small piece of it. I heard snatches of the conversation. N-COUNT: usu N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. Grasp, clutch, gripe, wring, wrest, twitch, pluck, seize suddenly, pull, catch, snip. II. n. 1. Bit, fragment, portion, small part. 2. Catch, short effort.

Moby Thesaurus

abduce, abduct, abduction, abstract, and, annex, apprehension, appropriate, arrest, arrestation, badger, bag, bit, blackmail, bob, boost, borrow, butt, capture, carry away, carry off, catch, catching, chip, chunk, clasp, clip, clipping, clutch, collaring, collop, cop, coup, crib, crimp, crumb, cut, cutting, defraud, deliver, desire, dollop, dragnet, embezzle, end, exact, extort, filch, flick, flip, flirt, flounce, force from, forcible seizure, fragment, get, gob, gobbet, grab, grab at, grabbing, grapple, grasp, hitch, hold, hold for ransom, hook, hunk, impress, jerk, jig, jigger, jigget, jiggle, jog, joggle, jump at, kidnap, kidnapping, lay hold of, levy blackmail, lift, lump, make off with, modicum, moiety, morsel, nab, nabbing, nail, nip, nip up, palm, paring, particle, picking up, piece, pilfer, pinch, pluck, poach, power grab, prehension, pry loose from, purloin, rasher, remove, rend, rend from, rescue, rip, rip from, run away with, running in, rustle, sample, save, scoop, scrap, screw, scrounge, segment, seize, seizure, seizure of power, shake down, shanghai, shard, shaving, shiver, shoplift, shred, skyjack, slice, sliver, smithereen, snack, snake, snap up, snare, snatch at, snatch from, snatching, snip, snippet, snitch, specimen, spirit away, splinter, squeeze, start, steal, stitch, stump, sudden pull, swindle, swipe, take, take hold of, taking in, taking into custody, tatter, tear from, thieve, throttle, tweak, twitch, walk off with, whip up, win, wrench, wrench from, wrest, wring, wring from, yank, yerk