snatch

/ˈsnach/

Middle English snacchen to snap, seize; akin to Middle Dutch snacken to snap at

verb

  1. to attempt to seize something suddenly

  2. to take or grasp abruptly or hastily; also : to seize or take suddenly without permission, ceremony, or right

take seize grasp clutch snatch grab mean to get hold of by or as if by catching up with the hand. take is a general term applicable to any manner of getting something into one's possession or control. seize implies a sudden and forcible movement in getting hold of something tangible or an apprehending of something fleeting or elusive when intangible.

noun

  1. a brief period

  2. a brief, fragmentary, or hurried part : bit

  3. a snatching at or of something

caught snatches of sleep

caught snatches of the conversation

noun

  1. a block that can be opened on one side to receive the bight of a rope