Grab

Definition: Grab

Grab

Adjective

1. Taken or to be taken at random; "grab samples".

Noun

1. The act of catching an object with the hands; "Mays made the catch with his back to the plate".

Verb

1. Take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of; "Catch the ball!" "Grab the elevator door!".

2. Get hold of or seize quickly and easily; "I snapped up all the good buys during the garage sale".

3. Make a grasping or snatching motion with the hand: "The passenger grabbed for the oxygen mask".

4. Obtain illegally or unscrupulously; "Grab power".

5. Take or grasp suddenly; "She grabbed the child's hand and ran out of the room".

6. Capture the attention or imagination of; "This story will grab you"; "The movie seized my imagination".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "grab" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references)

Building & Civil Engineering

Literature

Mechanical Engineering

Mining

Slang

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Grab

Parsimony

Drive a bargain, drive a hard bargain; cheapen, beat down; stop one hole in a sieve; have an itching palm, grasp, grab.

Taking

Get hold of, lay hold of, take hold of, catch hold of, lay fast hold of, take firm hold of; lay by the heels, take prisoner; fasten upon, grip, grapple, embrace, gripe, clasp, grab, clutch, collar, throttle, take by the throat, claw, clinch, clench, make sure of.

Catch at, jump at, make a grab at, snap at, snatch at; reach, make a long arm, stretch forth one's hand.

Crosswords: Grab

German (grave, ruination, sepulcher, shrine, tomb), Scottish (hinder, impede, interrupt, prevent, stop), Serbo-Croatian (hornbeam), Spanish (steal).

Hey, Dante, I'm gonna grab a Gatorade (Clerks.; writing credit: Kevin Smith)

I'm going to go home grab a shower and a shave, give the wife a little pickle tickle, and be on my way. (A League of their Own ; writing credit: Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel)

Not unless you grab my ass. (Good Will Hunting; writing credit: Matt Damon; Ben Affleck)

On the bad days I just want to grab the phone and start dialing numbers (Traffic; writing credit: Stephen Gaghan)

So I grab him by the collar, I take him out of the seat, I get behind the wheel, and now I'm driving the bus (Seinfeld; writing credit: Andreas Lenze; Bea Schmidt)

Nuttin just grab my chain off the table and 2 way too (If I Could Go; performing artist: Angie Martinez)

Cuz the DJ grab the record by the fist full (Request Line; performing artist: Black Eyed Peas)

Grab your gat with the extra clip and, (Fantastic Voyage; performing artist: Coolio)

Cause I grab the mic and flip my tongue like a dyke (Keep Their Headz Ringin; performing artist: Dr. Dre)

Grab a couple grand and lamp in Iceland (Murder Murder (Remix) *; performing artist: Eminem)

Land Grab (1970)

To Grab the Ring (1968)

Smash and Grab (1937)

Mit einem Bein im Grab (1996)

Nashville Grab (1981)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• All New Tricks for Trainers: 57 Tricks and Techniques to Grab and Hold the Attention of Any Audience...and Get Magical Results (reference)

• Global Gun Grab (reference)

• Grab (reference)

• Jumble Grab Bag: Reach Inside for a Puzzle Surprise! (reference)

• Nea: The Grab for Power: A Chronology of the National Education Association (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Gift of Grab (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Grab It! (reference)

• How Does That Grab You? (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

High Tech

• Play Clip Grab PC Video Display Video Effects and Processing Card (reference)

  (more camera examples; more video game examples; more computer examples; more electronic examples; more software examples)

Consumer Goods

• Franklin Brass D509W 9" White Grab Bar (reference)

  (more baby examples; more wireless phone examples; more garden examples; more kitchen examples; more tool examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Spring loaded grab sampler being deployed from PEIRCE Studying ocean dump site off Delaware Bay. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

Grab sampler being deployed Bottom sampling in support of nautical charting Determination of bottom characteristics for anchoring. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

Deploying a Van Vehn grab sampler from the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Ship BROWN BEAR. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth.

Spring-loaded grab sampler used to determine bottom characteristics. Credit: Fisheries.

Tracey Collier of NMFS collects sediment samples using a Smith Macentyre Sediment Grab. Credit: NOAA Restoration Center.

Plate 263. The California Rock Grab. Cancer antennarius, Stimpson. Credit: National Marine Fisheries Historical Image Collection.

Figure 13. A clamshell type grab sampler - this device was meant to grab material from the upper layers of seafloor sediment for study of the embedded fauna. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now.

Cadet Fourth Class Mike Grab adjusts the support line for a tent.

Hitler trying to grab France and Italy as swastika saws through map of Europe. Credit: Library of Congress.

Uncle Sam's hand reaching to grab potential soldiers hatching from eggs. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Hold on to grab bars for support when getting in and out of the bathtub or shower. (references)

It requires a completely new approach to eating that affects a person's entire life. People with celiac disease have to be extremely careful about what they buy for lunch at school or work, eat at cocktail parties, or grab from the refrigerator for a midnight snack. (references)

They teach people how to develop compensatory strategies, how to make changes in their homes to improve safety (such as installing grab bars in bathrooms), how to change obstacles in their environment that interfere with normal activity, and how to use assistive devices. (references)

Business

The ability to lease the last mile from DTAG gives CLEC's the opportunity not only to grab market shares from DTAG, but also enlarge the total ISDN market in Germany. (references)

Honda SEEC (super energy-efficient car) and Toyota Prius (the world's first mass-produced hybrid car) are anticipated to be popular and possibly grab 5.0% of the total car sales by the middle of this decade. (references)

Trade

Sri Lanka

For container cargo, the weight, center of gravity, and sling or grab points may be marked to encourage careful handling. (references)

Travel

Switzerland

A typical scam used against businessmen is for a thief to grab an attache case in a hotel or airport while an accomplice distracts the victim. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "grab": grab at ♦ grab at any excuse ♦ grab away ♦ Grab bag ♦ grab bar ♦ grab crane ♦ grab from ♦ Grab game ♦ Grab hag ♦ grab handle ♦ grab it ♦ grab sample ♦ grab set ♦ grab smb. by the throat ♦ how does it grab you? ♦ log grab ♦ make a grab for smth.. Additional references.

Beginning with "grab": Grab-a-grammy, grab-all, grab-and-scramble meal, grab-bag, grab-it-quick, grab-rail, grab-rails, grab-sampling.

Ending with "grab": smash-and-grab.

Containing "grab": smash-and-grab raid.

Afrikaans

gryp (clutch, grasp, grip, seize), bemagtig (clutch, grasp, grip, seize). (various references)

Albanian

rrëmbim (abduction, aggravation, derogation, despoilment, despoliation, precipitance, precipitancy, precipitation, rape, rapine, ravishment, theft), rrëmbej (collar, denude, deplume, derogate, despoil, extort, flick out, hijack, jump, rape, ravish, reave, reive, whip, whip up, wrest), pajisje mnërthyese, kapje (apprehension, arrest, attachment, catch, catchment, clasp, clutch, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, griping, hitch, hold, holding, hook, hug, interception, jaw, prehension, purchase, recapture, seizing, snatch, uptake), kap (affect, apprehend, arrest, attack, avail oneself of, captivate, capture, catch, catch on, catch out, catch up, clasp, clutch, cop, embrace, gain, get, get hold of, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, handle, have, hitch, hold, hook, intercept, nab, nail, nip, nobble, overcome, overtake, pick up, pinch, reach, rummage out, seize, snap, snatch, soak up, swoop, tackle, take, track down, unhang), kanxhë (coupling, crampon, drag, gaff, grapnel, grapple, grappling iron, hook, Peavey, Peavy, peg, pothook). (various references)

Arabic 

‏كلاب (clamp, dog, grapnel, grapple, hook), ‏لفت الانتباه (draw, engage, point, rivet, stress), ‏قلاب (tipcart, tipper), ‏قبض على (apprehend, capture, catch, clasp, clutch, grapple, grasp, grip, hold, seize upon, take hold of), ‏إنتهز (nick, nick the time, seize, take advantage of), ‏إنتزع (conquer, draw, exact, extort, extract, get smth. off one's hands, snatch, swagger, tear, tear out, twitch, wrest, wring, yank), ‏إنتزاع (conquering, conquest, elicitation, eviction, exaction, extortion, grabbing, pull, snatching, twitch, yank), ‏إختطف (snatch), ‏أمسك ب (load, lock, take). (various references)

Bulgarian 

сграбчване (clutch, grasp, snatch), сграбчвам (catch hold of, clutch, grapple, grasp, hog, lay hold of, nab, nip, seize, snatch, swoop), хващам (capture, catch, clamp, find out, get, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, hook, hunt down, land, nail, nip, nobble, pick up, pot, prey upon, run down, seize, snag, strike, take, take effect, take up, track down), кофа (bowk, bucket, corf, pail, pailful), гребло (oar, paddle, rake, raker, scoop), грабвам (catch up, nip, snap up, snatch, steal away, take off, waltz off with, whip away, whip off, whip up, whisk), нещо заграбено, заграбване (capture, usurpation), задигам (bag, carry away, filch, finger, lift, mooch, nip, pinch, prig, run away with, scarp, scrounge, snaffle, sneak, swipe, walk off with), екскаватор (dredge, dredger, excavator, navvy, power shovel, shovel), пипвам (catch, cop, feel, nab, nail, nip, pinch, pull, rap, snag, touch). (various references)

Chinese 

劫掠 (Grabbed, Grabbing), 抓住 . (various references)

Czech

urvat (carry away, rip off, Rive), shrábnout (mop up, rake off, scoop, skim off), popadnout (get hold of, grasp, grip, seize, snatch, snatch up, tackle, whip up), drapák, chmátnout po èem. (various references)

Danish

gribe (clutch, get, grasp, grip, lay hold of, pick up, seize, take). (various references)

Dutch

bemachtigen (clutch, grasp, grip, seize). (various references)

Esperanto

ekkapti (clutch, grasp, grip, seize). (various references)

Farsi 

چنگ زدن (Claw, Clutch, Grasp, Harp), قاپیدن (Grasp, Nab, Nail, Pinch, Raven, Ravish, Seize, Snap, Snatch), گرفتن (Capture, Catch, Cease, Circle, Detract, Devest, Educe, Engage, Front, Gripe, Hold, Kindle, Nail, Obtain, Obturate, Pickup, Snatch, Take, Wed), توقیف کردن (Apprehend, Arrest, Book, Confiscate, Detain, Impound, Intern, Seize, Sequester, Suppress), تصرف کردن (Hold), سبقت گرفتن (Best), ربودن (Abduct, Abstract, Bag, Betake, Get, Hook, Purloin, Ravish, Reave, Rob, Snatch, Steal, Usurp), ربایش (Rapture, Seizure, Snatch). (various references)

Finnish

tarttua (be contagious, be infectious, be transmitted, bite, catch, catch hold of, clutch, get stuck, grasp, grip, lodge, seize, snatch, stick), tarrata (clutch, grasp, lay hold of, seize), siepata (abduct, catch, intercept, kidnap, lay hold of, seize, snatch), kourakaivukone (clamshell), kauhakaivuri (clamshell), kahmari, kahmaista (grasp), iskeä kiinni johonkin (clutch). (various references)

French

saisir (grapple, grasp, grip, gripe), benne preneuse, agripper (grasp, grip). (various references)

Frisian

beetpakke (clutch, grasp, grip, seize), beetkrije (clutch, grasp, grip, seize). (various references)

German

greifer (clutch, grappling iron, sprocket), greifen (bite, catch, clasp, clutch, grasp, grip, grope, hold, reach, seize, snatch, span, strike, take hold of, to snatch), ergreifen (adopt, affect, agitate, apprehend, captivate, capture, catch, catch at, clasp, clutch, embrace, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, griping, move, overcome, resort to, seize, take up, to catch hold of, to take hold of). (various references)

Greek 

εκσκαφέας με αρπάγη, εκσκαφεύς με εξάρτησιν αρπάγης (clamshell), εκσκαφεύς με εξάρτησιν αχηβάδας (clamshell), λαβίδα (nipper, pinchers, tongs, tweezers), αρπάγη (grappling hook), αρπάζω (catch, clutch, grapple, grasp, gripe, nab, poach, rape, ravish, rifle, scrounge, seize, snap, snatch, spoil, tear from), αραπάζω. (various references)

Hebrew 

לחטוף (seize, snatch, swoop, whip, wrest). (various references)

Hungarian

megragadás (clutch, epiphany, grasp, grip, seizing, seizure, tackle), szorítófogó, markológép (backhoe, drag, excavator, grabber, hydraulic shovel), markoló (clamshell, clam-shell, crampon, crampoon, grasper), markolás (clench, grasp, grip, gripe), horgony (anchor, grapnel, grapple, grappling iron, grappling-iron). (various references)

Indonesian

menyabet (snatch), menangkap (absorb, arrest, capture, catch, cop, detain). (various references)

Inuktitut

tiguvaa (to grab). (various references)

Italian

afferrare (apprehend, catch, clutch, get, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, Nick, penetrate, seize, snap up, snatch, snatch up, tackle, take). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

福袋 (a "mystery package", a grab bag), 人の金玉を握る (to curry favour with one's superior, to grab a person by his vulnerable spot), 掴む (to catch, to catch hold of, to grab, to grasp, to grip, to hold, to lay one's hands on, to seize), 掴み掛かる (to grab at), 掴み出す (to grab and throw, to take a handful of, to take out), 一獲 (one grab), 一攫 (one grab). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ひとのきんたまをにぎる (to curry favour with one's superior, to grab a person by his vulnerable spot), ふくぶくろ (a "mystery package", a grab bag), つかむ (to catch, to catch hold of, to grab, to grasp, to grip, to hold, to lay one's hands on, to seize), つかみかかる (to grab at), つかみだす (to grab and throw, to take a handful of, to take out), いっかく (a lot, a narwhal, apparently, corner, enclosure, one block, one grab, point, section). (various references)

Korean 

횡령. (various references)

Manx

greimmeyder (biter, fixative, grabber, grasper, holder, mordant, snapper, sticker, stitcher), greimmey (adhere, adherence, adherence of person, adhesion, attach, bite, bite off, catch, clutch, fishing tackle, grasp, grip, gripping, hold, jam, lock in, monopolization, nab, pin on, seize, seizing, snap, snatch, snatch away, snatching, stick, stitch, stitch up, tooth), greim (bit, bite, catch, clutch, commissure, gobbet, grasp, grip, handhold, hold, monopolize, morsel, piece, snap, snatch, tack, tack needlework). (various references)

Norwegian

gripe (captivate, capture, catch, grapple, grasp, grip), snappe. (various references)

Papiamen

koi (clutch, grasp, grip, have sex, make love, screw, seize), kohe (clutch, grasp, grip, have sex, make love, screw, seize). (various references)

Pig Latin

abgray.(various references)

Portuguese

garra (chela, clamshell, clutch, fingernail, grapple, grip, nail, nipper, paw, pawl, prong, talon), grampo (brace, bracket, clam, clasp, claw, clinch, clincher, clip, cramp, dog, dog nail, holdfast, locket, parenthesis, spike, staple, tie-plate). (various references)

Romanian

dispozitiv de apucare, captura (captivate, capture, carry the prize, catch, grapple, land, seize, take), aresta (apprehend, arrest, confine, have up, lag, nab, pinch, prison, seize, take into custody, trap), apucare (bout, catch, clutch, grapnel, grasp, grip, gripe, hold, hug, nip, pluck, prehension, purchase, seizing, seizure, snatch), apuca (apprehend, captivate, capture, catch, clutch, comprehend, experience, grapple, grasp, grip, gripe, nab, nip, pull up, seize, snap, snatch, take), înhãţare (grip), înhãţa (grasp, gripe, nab, nail, seize, take), înşfãcare (grasp, snatch), înşfãca (get hold of, grasp, gripe, nab, nail, snap, snatch). (various references)

Russian 

самосхват (clamshell), ковш (bail, bucket, dipper, ladle, scoop, shovel, trough), грейфер (clamshell), нахватать (pick up, seize), захватывать захват (hijacking), захватывать (absorb, clench, enrapture, enthrall, grip, hijack, invade, invaded, overwhelm, possess, preempt, reconquer, seize, seize on, seizes, seizing), захват (caption, capture, catch, dog, grapnel, grip, hold, hug, jaw, lockout, seizure, take over, taking). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

grabiti (shark, ship), zgrabiti (hog it, scoop, scoop up, snatch, snatch at), zahvatiti (attaint, scoop, seize), uhvatiti (capture, catch his eye, collar, get, grasp, grip, lay hold of, net, run down, seize), ugrabiti (seize), posezanje, hvataljka (pincers, tongs), dohvatiti (reach), dograbiti (gobble), dočepati (clutch, seize), ščepati (clutch, grasp, lay hold, nab, snap, snap at, snap up, snatch, whip up). (various references)

Spanish

coger (accept, arrest, bag, captivate, capture, catch, catch hold of, clutch, cop, develop, fetch, frig, gather, get, get hold of, go down, grapple, grasp, grip, hit off, hold, hook, hunch, imbibe, land, lay hold of, lift, nab, nail, nobble, pick, pick up, pinch, pluck, seize, take, take on, take out, take up, toss, touch, treat, trip, trip up, yank off), asir (captivate, capture, catch, catch at, catch in, catch up, clench, clutch, grapple, grasp, grip, seize, snatch, tackle, take, touch). (various references)

Sranan

grabu (clutch, grasp, grip, seize). (various references)

Swedish

roffa åt sig, gripskopa, gripa tag i (clutch, get, grasp). (various references)

Thai

เรือแบบตะวันออก, การยึดเกาะ, คว้า (cop, snatch). (various references)

Turkish

gasp (disseisin, disseizin, extortion, hijack, hijacking, rape, seizure, spoliation, usurpation, wrest), zorla almak (exact, extort, rape, reave, Rob, snatch, squeeze, usurp, wrench, wrench smth. away from smb., wrench smth. from smb., wrest, wring), yakalamak (account, bag, catch, catch hold of, catch up on, claw hold of, clutch, collar, cop, embrace, entrap, get hold of, grapple, grasp, grip, hook, intercept, nab, nail, nobble, overtake, pinch, pull up to, seize, seize on, snap up, snatch, tackle, take, take up, trap), tırnaklı kaldıraç, kaptıkaçtı yöntemi, kapmak (catch, clutch, dispossess, grasp, imbibe, nab, poach, scoop up, seize, shut, shut in, snap up, snatch, snatch up, swoop up, twitch, whip, whip away, whip from), kapma (catching, contraction, grabbing, snatch, snatching), alma (acceptance, adoption, buying, excision, extraction, receipt, reception, taking). (various references)

Turkmen 

gysymlamak. (various references)

Ukrainian

раптом схопити, хватання, хапати (click, grabble, grasp, seize, sick, snap, snatch, swoop, tackle, take), черпак (bucket, dipper, ladle, scoop), награбоване (pillage, prey), захоплювати (absorb, bag, carry away, clench, clip, delight, encroach, enrapture, enthuse, inlace, invade, occupy, possess, rapture, ravish, take), захоплення (admiration, applause, capture, catch, delight, dementia, ecstasy, encroachment, enthusiasm, gust, hold, interest, mania, occupation, pre emption, rapture), привласнювати (appropriate, arrogate, cabbage, embezzle, peculate, poach, pocket, pouch, snoop, take, trouser), привласнення (appropriation, arrogation, assumption). (various references)

Vietnamese 

sự vồ lấy, sự túm lấy (grasp), sự tóm, sự cố tóm lấy sự tước đoạt, cái chộp. (various references)

Welsh

cribddeilio (extort), crafangio (claw). (various references)

carpo. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "grab": grabbed, grabber, grabbers, grabbier, grabbiest, grabbing, grabble, grabbled, grabbler, grabblers, grabbles, grabbling, grabby, graben, grabens, grabs. (additional references)

Words ending with "grab": landgrab. (additional references)

Words containing "grab": integrabilities, integrability, integrable, landgrabs. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Grab" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: gaab, garab, garbo, gareb, garf, garibi, garob, Ghra, Ghrib, glab, gnab, gra, graa, Grabau, grabb, Grabe, Grabke, Grabouw, Grabow, grac, grag, Grah, grak, gral, Grambo, Gramby, grap, grar, grau, grav, graw, grax, graz, greb, grebo, grib, griby, grieb, groab, grob, groob, grrap, grubb, Grubl, Ngarba, rgb, Sgriob, Trabb, Vrba. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Direct Anagrams: brag, garb.

-1 letter: arb, bag, bar, bra, gab, gar, rag.

-2 letters: ab, ag, ar, ba.

+1 letter: barge, brags, garbs, grabs.

+2 letters: airbag, badger, bagger, banger, barege, barged, bargee, barges, baring, barong, beggar, borage, braggy, bregma, brogan, gabber, gabbro, gambir, garbed, garble, grabby, graben, ragbag, ratbag.

+3 letters: abridge, airbags, algebra, auberge, badgers, baggers, baggier, bagworm, bangers, barbing, barding, bareges, barfing, bargain, bargees, barging, barking, barongs, barrage, barring, bearhug, bearing, beggars, beggary, begorah, begorra, begroan, blaring, borages, bracing, bragged, bragger, braking, braving, braying, brazing, brewage, brigade, brigand, brogans, brokage, bugbear, burgage, burghal, burglar, dirtbag, embargo, gabbard, gabbart, gabbers, gabbier, gabbler, gabbros, gambier, gambirs, gambler, gambrel, garbage, garbing, garbled, garbler, garbles, garboil, gearbox, gerbera, grabbed, grabber, grabble, grabens, hagborn, hamburg, herbage, megabar, outbrag, probang, ragbags, ratbags, rebegan, sabring, umbrage, workbag.