grab

¹

[ grab ]

verb (used with object)

, grabbed, grab·bing.

1. to seize suddenly or quickly; snatch; clutch:

   He grabbed me by the collar.

   Synonyms: catch, grip, grasp

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

   to grab land.

3. to obtain and consume quickly:

   Let's grab a sandwich before going to the movie.

4. Slang.
   1. to cause a reaction in; affect:

      How does my idea grab you?

   2. 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.

1. to make a grasping or clutching motion (usually followed by at ):

   He grabbed frantically at the life preserver.

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

noun

1. a sudden, quick grasp or snatch:

   to make a grab at something.

2. seizure or acquisition by violent or unscrupulous means.
3. something that is grabbed.
4. a mechanical device for gripping objects.
5. the capacity to hold or adhere:

   The glue was so old it had lost its grab.

grab

²

[ grab ]

noun

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

grab

/ ɡræb /

verb

1. to seize hold of (something)
2. tr to seize illegally or unscrupulously
3. tr to arrest; catch
4. intr (of a brake or clutch in a vehicle) to grip and release intermittently causing juddering
5. informal.
   tr to catch the attention or interest of; impress

noun

1. the act or an instance of grabbing
2. a mechanical device for gripping objects, esp the hinged jaws of a mechanical excavator
3. something that is grabbed
4. up for grabs informal.
   available to be bought, claimed, or won

Derived Forms

• ˈgrabber, noun

Other Words From

• grabba·ble adjective
• un·grabbing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grab¹

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

Origin of grab²

First recorded in 1670–80; from Arabic ghurāb literally, “raven”

Word History and Origins

Origin of grab¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. up for grabs, Informal. available to anyone willing to expend the energy to get it:

   The Republican nomination for mayor was up for grabs.

More idioms and phrases containing grab

In addition to the idiom beginning with grab , also see how does that grab you ; up for grabs .

Example Sentences

The post The streaming wars have escalated over turf grabs appeared first on Digiday.

From Digiday

Now, two years after Ethiopia first teased the world with plans that as much of half of the country’s telecommunications industry was up for grabs, there is still no clear timetable for its implementation.

From Quartz

Yet that hasn’t stopped him from using the crisis to justify even more aggressive data grabs.

From MIT Technology Review

Kayla Jimenez compiled a list of the seats that are up for grabs and the major initiatives that have already qualified in this week’s North County Report.

From Voice of San Diego

There are two City Council seats — District 2 and District 4 — up for grabs.

From Voice of San Diego

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

From The Daily Beast

Johnson would tell the grand jury that he never saw Brown stick his hand inside the car and grab the gun.

From The Daily Beast

In fact, as Ihrig points out, Mussolini called himself “the Mustafa Kemal of a Milanese Ankara” as he began his own power-grab.

From The Daily Beast

The brazen land grab of Crimea was planned while Putin was enjoying the limelight of the Sochi Winter Olympics.

From The Daily Beast

With every grab, the idea that law and politics are separate becomes harder for anyone to believe.

From The Daily Beast

His motto was, "Grab a dollar to-day—but don't meddle with it if it interferes with a thousand dollars in ten years."

From Project Gutenberg

Joe tried to grab him with the boathook, but it was useless, and the unhappy poltroon's body was whirled away.

From Project Gutenberg

Sure maybe you could grab that dough by blasting your way with the heaters plenty.

From Project Gutenberg

Jehosophat kicked at him with his wet feet, and tried to grab the fat red nose that hung down over the turkey's beak.

From Project Gutenberg

It might be nothing more than the ordinary “grab racket” with which a feast commonly concludes; it might be something worse.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• capture
• catch
• clutch
• grasp
• grip
• seize
• snag
• snatch
• take