Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - snatch

v. & n. --v.tr. 1 seize quickly, eagerly, or unexpectedly, esp. with outstretched hands. 2 steal (a wallet, handbag, etc.). 3 secure with difficulty (snatched an hour's rest). 4 (foll. by away, from) take away or from esp. suddenly (snatched away my hand). 5 (foll. by from) rescue narrowly (snatched from the jaws of death). 6 (foll. by at) a try to seize by stretching or grasping suddenly. b take (an offer etc.) eagerly. --n. 1 an act of snatching (made a snatch at it). 2 a fragment of a song or talk etc. (caught a snatch of their conversation). 3 US sl. a kidnapping. 4 (in weight-lifting) the rapid raising of a weight from the floor to above the head. 5 a short spell of activity etc. Phrases and idioms in (or by) snatches in fits and starts. Derivatives snatcher n. (esp. in sense 3 of n.). snatchy adj. Etymology: ME snecchen, sna(c)che, perh. rel. to SNACK