Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To grasp or seize hastily, eagerly, or suddenly.
  • intransitive verb To steal, especially quickly or with a sudden movement.
  • intransitive verb Informal To kidnap (someone).
  • intransitive verb Sports To raise (a weight) in one quick, uninterrupted motion from the floor to a position over the lifter's head.
  • intransitive verb To obtain or achieve quickly or unexpectantly.
  • intransitive verb To get (a small amount of sleep).
  • intransitive verb To make grasping or seizing motions.
  • noun The act of snatching; a quick grasp or grab.
  • noun Informal A kidnapping.
  • noun A brief period of time.
  • noun A small amount; a bit or fragment.
  • noun Sports A lift in weightlifting in which the weight is raised in one uninterrupted motion from the floor to a position over the lifter's head.
  • noun Vulgar Slang The vulva.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To seize or take hastily, eagerly, abruptly, or violently.
  • Hence, figuratively To get or save by sudden or violent effort, or by good fortune.
  • To seize or transport away quickly or forcibly.
  • Nautical, to place the bight of (a rope) in a snatch-block so that it may lead properly.
  • To seize, or attempt to seize, a thing suddenly: generally with at.
  • See the quotation.
  • noun A hasty catch or seizing.
  • noun An attempt to seize suddenly; a sharp attack.
  • noun A catching of the voice; impeded utterance.
  • noun A piece snatched or broken off; a small piece or quantity; a fragment; a bit.
  • noun A short fit of vigorous action: as, a snatch at weeding after a shower.
  • noun A hasty repast; a snack; a bit of food.
  • noun A quibble; a shuffiing answer.
  • noun An open lead for a block. See snatch-block.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To take or seize hastily, abruptly, or without permission or ceremony.
  • transitive verb To seize and transport away; to rap.
  • intransitive verb To attempt to seize something suddenly; to catch; -- often with at.
  • noun A hasty catching or seizing; a grab; a catching at, or attempt to seize, suddenly.
  • noun A short period of vigorous action.
  • noun A small piece, fragment, or quantity; a broken part; a scrap.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To grasp quickly.
  • verb To grasp and remove quickly.
  • verb To steal.
  • verb by extension To take a victory at the last moment.
  • verb To do something quickly due to limited time available.
  • noun A quick grab or catch.
  • noun weightlifting A competitive weightlifting event in which a barbell is lifted from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement.
  • noun A piece of some sound, usually music or conversation.
  • noun vulgar slang A vulva.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb to grasp hastily or eagerly
  • noun the act of catching an object with the hands
  • noun obscene terms for female genitals
  • noun a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted overhead in one rapid motion
  • verb to make grasping motions

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English snacchen.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Unknown

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Examples

  • And -- around you, my snatch is always a little wet, I need to wear pants or I'd leave spots every time I sat down.

    MORE FROM GINNY BATES: SETTING UP HOUSE Maggie Jochild 2007

  • SNOW: General Clark, I was reading about what they call snatch and grab teams that are apparently in that area in Tora Bora now.

    CNN Transcript Dec 15, 2001 2001

  • NEW ORLEANS — Republican U.S. Rep. Joseph Cao has lost the election in his New Orleans-area district, a rare seat that Democrats were able to snatch from the GOP.

    Joseph Cao Defeated: Cedric Richmond Wins Louisiana House Seat The Huffington Post News Team 2010

  • NEW ORLEANS — Republican U.S. Rep. Joseph Cao has lost the election in his New Orleans-area district, a rare seat that Democrats were able to snatch from the GOP.

    Joseph Cao Defeated: Cedric Richmond Wins Louisiana House Seat The Huffington Post News Team 2010

  • NEW ORLEANS — Republican U.S. Rep. Joseph Cao has lost the election in his New Orleans-area district, a rare seat that Democrats were able to snatch from the GOP.

    Joseph Cao Defeated: Cedric Richmond Wins Louisiana House Seat The Huffington Post News Team 2010

  • NEW ORLEANS — Republican U.S. Rep. Joseph Cao has lost the election in his New Orleans-area district, a rare seat that Democrats were able to snatch from the GOP.

    Joseph Cao Defeated: Cedric Richmond Wins Louisiana House Seat The Huffington Post News Team 2010

  • Of course, one would have to be incredibly naive to think that Palin, at best a befuddled Republican poster child and at worst another establishment neocon, would follow through on her support and back a new 9/11 investigation should John McCain snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and take the White House.

    28 « October « 2008 « Niqnaq 2008

  • Leave it to the Democrats to once again snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.

    Rendell: 'Very unlikely' Clinton will win 2008

  • Of course, one would have to be incredibly naive to think that Palin, at best a befuddled Republican poster child and at worst another establishment neocon, would follow through on her support and back a new 9/11 investigation should John McCain snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and take the White House.

    i don’t quite follow her reasoning 2008

  • She is the U.S. record holder in snatch, clean and jerk and total weight lifted.

    USATODAY.com - Weight no problem for Cunningham 2004

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