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1. To grasp hastily or eagerly
   "Before I could stop him the dog snatched the ham bone";
   - snatch up, snap
    
2. To make grasping motions
   "the cat snatched at the butterflies"
    
3. (crime) take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom
   "The industrialist's son was snatched";
   - kidnap, nobble [Brit], abduct
    
4. Make off with belongings of others
   - pilfer, cabbage, purloin, pinch [Brit], abstract, snarf [N. Amer], swipe, hook, sneak, filch [informal], nobble [Brit], lift, whip [Brit], nick [Brit, informal]
    
5. Do something quickly due to limited time available
   "snatch a quick nap"

1. A small fragment of sound (music or speech)
   "overheard snatches of their conversation";
   - bit
    
2. [vulgar] Obscene term for female genitals
    
3. (law) the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment
   - kidnapping, kidnaping [US]
    
4. A weightlift in which the barbell is lifted overhead in one rapid motion
    
5. The act of catching an object with the hands
   "Martin's snatch at the bridle failed and the horse raced away";
   - catch, grab, snap

Derived forms: snatches, snatching, snatched

Type of: capture, clutch, female genital organ, female genitalia, female genitals, fragment, prehend [archaic], seize, seizure, steal, touch, touching, weightlift, weightlifting

Encyclopedia: Snatch