nab

See also: NAB, nǟb, and na b'

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /næb/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æb

Etymology 1

From earlier knab, a variant of knap; but also from nap, of North Germanic origin, related to Danish nappe (“to tweak, snatch at, catch, seize”), Swedish nappa (“to take, grab, pinch”), Norwegian nappe (“to pluck”).

Alternative forms

• knab

Verb

nab (third-person singular simple present nabs, present participle nabbing, simple past and past participle nabbed)

1. (informal, transitive) To seize, arrest or take into custody (a criminal or fugitive).
   • 1887, Anna Katharine Green, 7 to 12, A Detective Story, G. P. Putnam's Sons, page 2:

     As I was going out of the door, a fellow detective came hurriedly in. "Nabbed them," cried he.

2. (informal, transitive) To grab or snatch something.

Synonyms

• (arrest a criminal or fugitive): nick, bust

Derived terms

• nabber
• kidnap

Translations

to seize a criminal

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 逮捕 (zh) (dàibǔ)

• Dutch: (slang) oppakken (nl)
• German: schnappen (de)

• Russian: хвата́ть (ru) impf (xvatátʹ), схвати́ть (ru) pf (sxvatítʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian: ухапсити, uhapsiti (sh)
• Swedish: haffa (sv)

to grab or snatch

• French: choper (fr) (Europe), pogner (fr) (Canada)
• German: schnappen (de)

• Russian: хвата́ть (ru) impf (xvatátʹ), схвати́ть (ru) pf (sxvatítʹ)

Etymology 2

Compare knap, knop, knob.

Noun

nab (plural nabs)

1. The summit of an eminence.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

2. The cock of a gunlock.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)

3. (locksmithing) The keeper, or box into which the lock is shot.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)

Anagrams

• ABN, BAN, BNA, Ban, NBA, ban

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Kurdish

Adjective

nab

1. pure

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Southeastern Tepehuan

Etymology

Cognate with Northern Tepehuan návoi, O'odham nav, Central Tarahumara napó, Mayo naabo, Hopi naavu.

Noun

nab

1. prickly pear cactus (clarification of this definition is needed)

Derived terms

• nab junmaꞌn

References

• R. de Willett, Elizabeth, et al. (2016) Diccionario tepehuano de Santa María Ocotán, Durango (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 48)‎^[1] (in Spanish), electronic edition, Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., page 132

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White Hmong

Etymology

From Proto-Hmong-Mien *ʔnaŋ (“snake”). Cognate with Iu Mien naang.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /na˥/

Noun

nab

1. snake.
2. worm.

Derived terms

• cua nab (“earthworm”)
• ntses nab (“eel”)
• nab qa (“lizard”)

References

• Ernest E. Heimbach, White Hmong - English Dictionary (1979, SEAP Publications)