nab

¹ American

[nab] / næb /

verb (used with object)

Informal.

nabbed, nabbing

to arrest or capture.
to catch or seize, especially suddenly.
to snatch or steal.

NAB ² American

Also N.A.B. National Association of Broadcasters.
New American Bible.

nab British

/ næb /

verb

to arrest
to catch (someone) in wrongdoing
to seize suddenly; snatch

"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

Other Word Forms

nabber noun

Etymology

Origin of nab

1675–85; earlier nap; perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Danish nappe, Norwegian, Swedish nappa to snatch

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A perfect time to nab me before other recruiters do.

From Literature

Kaz had given Inej two objectives: nab a big enough diamond for Jesper to work with and get herself into this corridor after eleven bells.

From Literature

Would Rollins send someone in his place or lead the crew to nab Bo Yul-Bayur himself?

From Literature

Kids scrambled, trying to nab the best bench or to sit with their new friends.

From Literature

I got a fat spoiled son—he’s not gonna nab Miss Rheingold.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023