snatch

[snach]

See more synonyms for snatch on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to make a sudden effort to seize something, as with the hand; grab (usually followed by at).

verb (used with object)

to seize by a sudden or hasty grasp: He snatched the old lady's purse and ran.
to take, get, secure, etc., suddenly or hastily.
to rescue or save by prompt action: He snatched the baby from the fire.
Slang. to kidnap.

noun

the act or an instance of snatching.
a sudden motion to seize something; grab: He made a snatch as if to stop her.
a bit, scrap, or fragment of something: snatches of conversation.
a brief spell of effort, activity, or any experience: to work in snatches.
Nautical. a sheave or projecting member serving as a fairlead.
a brief period of time.
Slang. an act of kidnapping.
Slang: Vulgar. vulva; vagina.
Weightlifting. a lift in which the barbell is brought in a single motion from the floor to an arms-extended position overhead.

Compare clean and jerk.

Origin of snatch

1175–1225; Middle English snacche (noun), snacchen (v.) < ?; cognate with Middle Dutch snacken

Related formssnatch·a·ble, adjectivesnatch·er, nounsnatch·ing·ly, adverbout·snatch, verb (used with object)un·snatched, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for snatched

Contemporary Examples

The subtext of the clown is that life is a joke and can be snatched away at any moment.
Nightmares in Face Paint: Why We’ll Always Be Afraid of Clowns
Oliver Jones
October 18, 2014
The Germans and Japanese have snatched their customers away in North America.
Nationalism on Four Wheels
Clive Irving
October 18, 2014
He snatched up the thrown chair and crashed it down onto the head of a charging older black man, who crumpled into a heap.
Inside a Hospital for the Criminally Insane
Caitlin Dickson
September 15, 2014
Vladimir Putin snatched Crimea from Ukraine as a strategic, patriotic, and touristic prize.
Crimea: A Patriotic Russian Vacation From Hell
Anna Nemtsova
August 20, 2014
Another time, he came to the rescue of a young woman whose iPhone had been snatched by a petty thief.
Castro Street’s Hot Cop Is the Batman to Sexy Mug Shot Guy’s Joker
Itay Hod
July 9, 2014

Historical Examples

People giggled, and she snatched her hand away, blushing furiously.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
And it was true I could have snatched the meat from her like a wolf, but because of my vow I would not.
The Trail Book
Mary Austin
Tiennette snatched from the hands of Rose and Jeanne the stockings they were coveting.
The Dream
Emile Zola
And with a sudden movement, as the Huberts closed it to give it back to her, she snatched it from them.
The Dream
Emile Zola
Then he sprang upon the slippery rock and snatched the gold.
Opera Stories from Wagner
Florence Akin

British Dictionary definitions for snatched

snatch

verb

(tr) to seize or grasp (something) suddenly or peremptorilyhe snatched the chocolate out of my hand
(intr usually foll by at) to seize or attempt to seize suddenly
(tr) to take hurriedlyto snatch some sleep
(tr) to remove suddenlyshe snatched her hand away
(tr) to gain, win, or rescue, esp narrowlythey snatched victory in the closing seconds
(tr) (in weightlifting) to lift (a weight) with a snatch
snatch one's time Australian informal to leave a job, taking whatever pay is due

noun

an act of snatching
a fragment or small incomplete partsnatches of conversation
a brief spellsnatches of time off
weightlifting a lift in which the weight is raised in one quick motion from the floor to an overhead position
slang, mainly US an act of kidnapping
British slang a robberya diamond snatch

Derived Formssnatcher, noun

Word Origin

C13 snacchen; related to Middle Dutch snakken to gasp, Old Norse snaka to sniff around

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 snatched

snatch

v.

early 13c., "make a sudden snap or bite" (at something), of uncertain origin; perhaps from an unrecorded Old English *snæccan or Middle Dutch snacken "to snatch, chatter." Cf. snack (n.). Meaning "lay hold of suddenly" is from early 14c.; especially "take from someone's hands" (1580s). Weight-lifting sense is attested from 1928. Related: Snatched; snatching.

snatch

n.

c.1300, "a trap, snare," from snatch (v.). Meaning "a sudden grab" is from 1570s; that of "a small amount" is from 1590s. Sense in weight-lifting is from 1928. Vulgar slang sense of "vulva" is recorded from 1903; a much older venereal sense was "sexual intercourse quickly performed" (1580s).

snatch

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Examples from the Web for snatched

Contemporary Examples

The subtext of the clown is that life is a joke and can be snatched away at any moment.

The Germans and Japanese have snatched their customers away in North America.

He snatched up the thrown chair and crashed it down onto the head of a charging older black man, who crumpled into a heap.

Vladimir Putin snatched Crimea from Ukraine as a strategic, patriotic, and touristic prize.

Another time, he came to the rescue of a young woman whose iPhone had been snatched by a petty thief.

Historical Examples

People giggled, and she snatched her hand away, blushing furiously.

And it was true I could have snatched the meat from her like a wolf, but because of my vow I would not.

Tiennette snatched from the hands of Rose and Jeanne the stockings they were coveting.

And with a sudden movement, as the Huberts closed it to give it back to her, she snatched it from them.

Then he sprang upon the slippery rock and snatched the gold.

snatch

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for snatched

snatch

v.

snatch

n.

Origin of snatch