snatch

Word family

snatch1 /snætʃ/ verb [transitiveT]

1 TAKE something FROM somebodyto take something away from someone with a quick, often violent, movement 抢去，强夺，攫取 SYN grab

The thief snatched her purse and ran.

小偷抢了她的钱包就跑。

snatch something away/back from somebody

Keith snatches toys away from the other children.

基思把玩具从其他小孩那里抢走。

2 TAKE something FROM SOMEWHEREto take someone away from a person or place, especially by force 抓走，夺走〔某人〕

Vargas was snatched from his home by two armed men.

瓦尔加斯被两名持枪男子从家中抓走。

3 DO something/TAKE ACTIONto quickly get something, especially sleep or rest, because you do not have very much time 抓紧时间〔做某事，尤指睡觉或休息〕 SYN grab

I managed to snatch an hour’s sleep on the train.

我在火车上抓紧时间睡了一小时。

4 snatch at something phrasal verbphr v TAKE something FROM SOMEWHEREto quickly put out your hand to try to take or hold something 伸手抓，伸手抢

Jessie snatched at the bag but I pulled it away.

杰西伸手去抓袋子，但我给拿开了。

Examples from the Corpus

snatch at • You snatched at it and gobbled it down, before some one else did.• The receiver was snatched at the first ring and Massingham's disciplined impatience came across as strongly as his voice.• He snatched at the glove she held ... Then, suddenly, there was the Rumanian countess.• She snatched at the memory but it was too obscure.• The flames grew larger, snatching at the old manuscripts in bursts of fire.• She snatched at the phone and pressed the buttons of her aunt's number, but there was no reply.• The phone rang again and I snatched at the receiver this time.• Unseen thorns begin to snatch at your clothes and rip your skin.

Examples from the Corpus

snatch• Coles tried to snatch a few hours' sleep.• He snatches a loaf from the baker's counter and is promptly run into gaol.• When no one was looking, he snatched a tray of watches and ran out of the shop.• Unfortunately, street crimes such as purse snatching are common.• A young boy pushed her over and snatched her purse as she fell.• Before I could say a word, he'd snatched the keys from the table and run out of the room.• Masked gunmen snatched two members of the group from their hotel.• Someone's going to snatch your purse if you leave it sticking out of your bag like that.

snatch something away/back from somebody• Startled, the man snatches his arm away from me.

snatch2 noun [countableC]

1 a snatch of conversation/music/song etc PARTa short part of a conversation, song etc that you hear 谈话/音乐/歌曲等的片段

I could hear snatches of the conversation from across the room.

我能听到房间那头传来的只言片语。

2 in snatches PERIOD OF TIMEfor short periods 断断续续地

I only slept in snatches during the night.

我夜里只是断断续续地睡了几觉。

Examples from the Corpus

in snatches• He'd only slept in snatches, an hour at most.

3 TAKE something FROM SOMEWHEREwhen someone quickly takes or steals something 抓；抢；夺

reports of a bag snatch

抢夺手提包的报道

4. taboo informal a very offensive word for a woman’s sex organ. Do not use this word. 〔女性的〕阴部，屄

Examples from the Corpus

snatch• Among snatches of conversation, both of us remember his referring to the underground as being rather like hell.• Many species will, in complete darkness, utter a few snatches of song if disturbed at their roosts.• As it is, most parents take only brief peeks into classrooms and hear snatches of information about curriculum.• We started to climb, accompanied by intermittent snatches of bird song: wood warbler, garden warbler and willow warbler.• You know, sitting in a train or walking down the street, little snatches of things.• I turn the volume low, to stop picking up snatches of conversation from next door.• She remembered it in vivid violent snatches punctuated by haze or darkness.

Origin snatch1

(1100-1200) Perhaps from Middle Dutch snacken; → SNACK2

snatch1 verbsnatch2 noun

Chinese

Corpus