grab
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ɡɹæb/
rhymes: -æb
Forms: form: grabs
Etymology: From Middle Dutch grabben or Middle Low German grabben (“to grasp, grab, seize, snatch”), from Old Saxon gravan, from Proto-West Germanic *grabbōn, a secondary form of Proto-Germanic *grabōną (“to gather, rake”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- (“to gather, rake, grab, seize”).
Related to Danish grabbe (“to grab”), Swedish grabba (“to grab”), Old Norse grápa (“to seize, appropriate”), Middle English grappen (“to feel, grope, grasp, clutch”), Old English ġegræppian (“to seize”).
Related also to Sanskrit गृह्णाति (gṛhṇā́ti), गृभ्णाति (gṛbhṇā́ti, “he seizes”), Avestan 𐬔𐬭𐬀𐬠 (grab, “to seize”)), Macedonian грабне (grabne, “to snatch”), Bulgarian грабя (grabja, “to rob, to grab”).
Senses: examples: text: The ball popped in and popped out, and when he made a grab for it on the ground he kicked it with his foot.
ref: 1931 April, Harold M. Sherman, “The Baseball Clown”, in Boys' Life, volume 21, number 4, Boy Scouts of America, page 47:
text: He made a grab for me and I swung my handbag at him as hard as I could.
ref: 2003, J Davey, Six Years of Darkness, Trafford Publishing, page 66:
glosses: A sudden snatch at something.
glosses: An acquisition by violent or unjust means.
examples: text: Almost all modern cranes are electrically operated and a quick-acting type of 30 cwt. capacity is suitable for general cargo, but not powerful enough to operate grabs for discharge of bulk cargoes.
ref: 1945 January and February, T. F. Cameron, “Dock Working”, in Railway Magazine, page 11:
glosses: A mechanical device that grabs or clutches.
glosses: A mechanical device that grabs or clutches.
A device for withdrawing drills, etc., from artesian and other wells that are drilled, bored, or driven.
examples: text: For example, one radio bulletin may feature one central issue, like a state election, and will focus on that issue. The bulletin might contain only a few voice wraps but many grabs, leaving the focus firmly on the newsreader.
ref: 2008, Melissa Agnew, Here is the (Australian) News:
topics: media
glosses: A sound bite.
glosses: That which is seized.
examples: 2022, Mark van der Feyst, Matt Wehrle, Rob Wiggins, The Tactical Firefighter
There have been many rescues made as a result of an aggressive search team who went in without a hoseline to make the grab.
topics: firefighting
government
glosses: The rescue of a person from a burning structure.
glosses: A simple card game.
Synonyms: catch
clutch
grasp
seize
snatch
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: attention-grabbing
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: bash and grab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: cash grab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: cashgrab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: double grab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab and go
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab-and-go
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab and run
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab ass
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab-ass
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grabass
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab at
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab at a straw
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab at straws
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grabbable
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab-bag
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab bag
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab bar
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grabber
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grabble
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab box
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab bucket
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grabby
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab by the horns
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab by the lapels
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab by the short hairs
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grabfest
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grabful
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab game
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab hag
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab handle
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab hoe
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab hold
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab iron
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab life by the balls
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab life by the horns
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab life by the throat
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab off
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab one's ankles
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab rail
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grabrail
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab sample
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab some air
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab some pine
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab some Zs
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab some Z's
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab some z's
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab the bull by the horns
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab the headlines
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grab the popcorn
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: grapple
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: handgrab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: land grab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: landgrab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: misgrab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: money-grabbing
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: power grab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: pregrab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: regrab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: screengrab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: smash and grab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: smash-and-grab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: snatch and grab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: take a grab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: ungrab
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: up for grabs
sense: Terms derived from grab (all parts of speech)
word: wreck grab