grab

grab¹ W3S3 [græb] v past tense and past participle grabbed present participle grabbing [T]

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1¦(with your hand)¦

2¦(food/sleep)¦

3¦(get something for yourself)¦

4¦(chance/opportunity)¦

5¦(get attention)¦

6 how does something grab you?

Phrasal verbs

　grab at/for something

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[Date: 1500-1600; : Middle Dutch; Origin: Middle Low German grabben]

1.) ¦(WITH YOUR HAND)¦

to take hold of someone or something with a sudden or violent movement

= ↑snatch

▪ I grabbed my bag and ran off.

▪ Two men grabbed her and pushed her to the ground.

▪ Kay grabbed hold of my arm to stop herself falling.

grab sth from sb/sth

▪ I managed to grab the gun from Bowen.

2.) ¦(FOOD/SLEEP)¦ informal

to get some food or sleep quickly because you are busy

= ↑snatch

▪ Why don't you go and grab some sleep?

▪ Hang on while I grab a cup of coffee.

▪ Let's grab a bite to eat before we go.

3.) ¦(GET SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF)¦

to get something for yourself, sometimes in an unfair way

▪ Try to get there early and grab good seats.

▪ Bob tried to grab all the profit.

4.) ¦(CHANCE/OPPORTUNITY)¦

informal also grab at sth

to take an opportunity, accept an invitation etc immediately

▪ I think you should grab your chance to travel while you're young.

▪ She grabbed the opportunity to go to America.

▪ Melanie grabbed at the invitation to go.

▪ This is our chance to grab a slice of this new market.

5.) ¦(GET ATTENTION)¦

to get someone's attention

▪ The book is full of good ideas to grab your students' attention.

▪ The plight of the refugees immediately grabbed the headlines (=was the most important story in the newspapers) .

6.) how does sth grab you?

spoken used to ask someone if they would be interested in doing a particular thing

▪ How does the idea of a trip to Spain grab you?

grab at/for [grab at/for sth] phr v

to quickly and suddenly put out your hand to try and catch or get something

▪ I grabbed at the glass just before it fell.

▪ Lucy grabbed for the money.

grab ²

grab² n

1.) make a grab for/at sth

to suddenly try to take hold of something

▪ As soon as he turned his back, I made a grab for the revolver.

2.) be up for grabs informal

if a job, prize, opportunity etc is up for grabs, it is available for anyone who wants to try to have it

3.)

the act of getting something quickly, especially in a dishonest way

▪ a shameless power grab to eliminate opposition

▪ Officials denounced the settlers' land grab .