grab

[ grab ]

/ græb /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR grab ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Idioms for grab

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.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR grab ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM grab

grab·ba·ble, adjective un·grab·bing, adjective

Words nearby grab

gr., gr. br., gr. wt., gr8, graafian follicle, grab, grab bag, grab bar, grab rope, grabber, grabble

Definition for grab (2 of 2)

grab ²

[ 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

Example sentences from the Web for grab

The officers approached Garner and tried to grab hold of him, but he swatted their hands away.

Before Eric Garner, There Was Michael Stewart: The Tragic Story of the Real-Life Radio Raheem |Marlow Stern |December 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Johnson would tell the grand jury that he never saw Brown stick his hand inside the car and grab the gun.

90 Seconds of Fury in Ferguson Are the Key to Making Peace in America |Michael Daly |November 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
With every grab, the idea that law and politics are separate becomes harder for anyone to believe.

A Reminder: Our Justices are Politicians in Robes |Jedediah Purdy |November 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
What one side tries to take off the table, to turn from “politics” into “law,” the other side is always trying to grab back.

A Reminder: Our Justices are Politicians in Robes |Jedediah Purdy |November 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

It is unclear if Kerry will be able to grab a bottle or two from the cubby the next time he passes through Moldova.

Meditation Rugs, Swords, and Horse Head Fiddles: The Strangest Gifts Given to Government Bigwigs |Ben Jacobs |November 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The man on the grab replied that she lay outside, a dozen boat lengths.

In Clive's Command |Herbert Strang
Uncle Wiggily looked up, and there was a big snake, just going to grab him.

Uncle Wiggily's Adventures |Howard R. Garis
And the harder you want 'em the quicker you are on the grab.

Torchy, Private Sec. |Sewell Ford
But now it had come so near, that it almost seemed as though, with one bound he could grab it.

Six Little Ducklings |Katharine Pyle
Not that it didn't make me grab for hand-holds for a minute or two, mind you.

The City of Numbered Days |Francis Lynde

British Dictionary definitions for grab

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 forms of grab

grabber, noun

Word Origin for grab

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

Idioms and Phrases with grab

grab

In addition to the idiom beginning with grab

grab bag

also see:

how does that grab you
up for grabs

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

grab

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

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

noun

Idioms for grab

Origin of grab

SYNONYMS FOR grab

OTHER WORDS FROM grab

Words nearby grab

Definition for grab (2 of 2)

noun

Origin of grab

Example sentences from the Web for grab

British Dictionary definitions for grab

verb grabs, grabbing or grabbed

noun

Derived forms of grab

Word Origin for grab

Idioms and Phrases with grab

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

grab

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

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

noun

Idioms for grab

Origin of grab

SYNONYMS FOR grab

OTHER WORDS FROM grab

Words nearby grab

Definition for grab (2 of 2)

noun

Origin of grab

Words related to grab

Example sentences from the Web for grab

British Dictionary definitions for grab

verb grabs, grabbing or grabbed

noun

Derived forms of grab

Word Origin for grab

Idioms and Phrases with grab