grab

[ grab ]

/ græb /

|||

verb (used with object), grabbed, grab·bing.

to seize suddenly or quickly; snatch; clutch: He grabbed me by the collar.

to take illegal possession of; seize forcibly or unscrupulously: to grab land.

to obtain and consume quickly: Let's grab a sandwich before going to the movie.

Slang.

to cause a reaction in; affect: How does my idea grab you?
to arouse the interest or excitement of: The book was O.K., but it just didn't grab me.

verb (used without object), grabbed, grab·bing.

to make a grasping or clutching motion (usually followed by at): He grabbed frantically at the life preserver.

(of brakes, a clutch, etc.) to take hold suddenly or with a jolting motion; bind.

noun

a sudden, quick grasp or snatch: to make a grab at something.

seizure or acquisition by violent or unscrupulous means.

something that is grabbed.

a mechanical device for gripping objects.

the capacity to hold or adhere: The glue was so old it had lost its grab.

Nearby words

Idioms

up for grabs, Informal. available to anyone willing to expend the energy to get it: The Republican nomination for mayor was up for grabs.

Origin of grab

1580–90; cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German grabben, Swedish grabba

SYNONYMS FOR grab

1. grasp, grip, catch.

Related formsgrab·ba·ble, adjectiveun·grab·bing, adjective

grab

[ grab ]

/ græb /

noun

a ship having two or three masts with a square rig, common on the Malabar Coast in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Origin of grab

First recorded in 1670–80, grab is from the Arabic word ghurāb literally, raven

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for grabs

At this point, the female rapper comes across as fairly sympathetic—that is, until Azealia Banks grabs the mic.
Solange Smacks Jay Z, Legolas Slaps Bieber, and the Biggest Celebrity Feuds of the Year|Amy Zimmerman|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Growing rapidly as a community and up for grabs, Asian Americans are deciding elections around the country.
Asian Americans Are The Country’s Fastest Growing Swing Vote|Tim Mak|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At that age you can fashion yourself: everything is up for grabs.
Sarah Waters: Queen of the Tortured Lesbian Romance|Tim Teeman|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, when you Google “Brian Lederman” the first result describes him as someone who “grabs a lot of asses.”
Online Shaming Gives Creeps the Spotlight They Deserve|Samantha Allen|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“I think the evangelical vote is up for grabs,” Biundo, the former Santorum aide now working for Paul, told me.
Is Rand Paul Christian Enough for the GOP?|Olivia Nuzzi|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She grabs Mary's arm and pushes her towards, the door to the hall.
The Straw|Eugene O'Neill
I grabs up a gun—his own gun it was—an' sends him a long far'well.
Burl|Morrison Heady
He races back and starts to holler, “Stop it Mel,” and grabs her collar.
FreeChildrenStories.com Collection|Daniel Errico
He then begins working his paw through the opening, and when he has reached the cornmeal, seeds and other bait he grabs a handful.
Seven Legs Across the Seas|Samuel Murray
But she steadily drew ahead, and ere long it was seen that the four grabs were being hopelessly outpaced.
In Clive's Command|Herbert Strang

British Dictionary definitions for grabs

grab

/ (ɡræb) /

verb grabs, grabbing or grabbed

to seize hold of (something)

(tr) to seize illegally or unscrupulously

(tr) to arrest; catch

(intr) (of a brake or clutch in a vehicle) to grip and release intermittently causing juddering

(tr) informal to catch the attention or interest of; impress

noun

the act or an instance of grabbing

a mechanical device for gripping objects, esp the hinged jaws of a mechanical excavator

something that is grabbed

up for grabs informal available to be bought, claimed, or won

Derived Formsgrabber, noun

Word Origin for grab

C16: probably from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch grabben; related to Swedish grabba, Sanskrit grbhnāti he seizes

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for grabs

grab

1777, "thing grabbed;" 1824, "act of grabbing," from grab (v.). Up for grabs attested from 1945 in jive talk.

grab

1580s, from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German grabben "to grab," from Proto-Germanic *grab (cf. Old English græppian "to seize," Old Saxon garva, Old High German garba "sheaf," literally "that which is gathered up together"), from PIE *ghrebh- "to seize, reach" (cf. Sanskrit grbhnati "seizes," Old Persian grab- "seize" as possession or prisoner, Old Church Slavonic grabiti "to seize, rob," Lithuanian grebiu "to rake"). Sense of "to get by unscrupulous methods" reinforced by grab game, a kind of swindle, attested from 1846. Related: Grabbed; grabbing.

Idioms and Phrases with grabs

grab

In addition to the idiom beginning with grab

grab bag

also see:

how does that grab you
up for grabs

grab

verb (used with object), grabbed, grab·bing.

verb (used without object), grabbed, grab·bing.

noun

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of grab

grab

noun

Origin of grab

Examples from the Web for grabs

grab

verb grabs, grabbing or grabbed

noun

Word Origin for grab

grab

grab

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