Nabbit

Part of speech: interjection

Definitions

1. Dialect past form meaning having been caught, seized, or taken hold of unexpectedly by someone
2. Describing a person or thing that has been suddenly grabbed, captured, or arrested by another
3. Meaning caught out or seized quickly, as in a dialect expression for being apprehended

Etymology: In Scots and northern English, "nabbit" is the past participle of "nab," an old verb for seizing something quickly, so it means "caught" or "grabbed." The "-it" ending is the regular Scots form of the past participle, found in many other northern verbs. The verb "nab" itself has uncertain origins. It is probably related to Scandinavian or Low German dialect words for grabbing, but no ancestor can be confirmed. Its uses have stayed close to the physical sense of a sudden seizure, such as nabbing a thief or snatching a ball out of the air.