▪ I. nab, n.1 Chiefly north. and Sc.
(næb)
Also 5, 9 nabb, 9 knab.
[a. ON. nabbr and nabbi, a projecting peak or knoll: cf. Norw. dial. nabb and nabbe, ‘nab’ of a rock or hill, knag, pin, (tether-)peg, Sw. nabb (dial. nabbe), nab, promontory, prominence (MSw. skogsnabb, point of a wood).]
1. A projecting or jutting out part of a hill or rock; a peak or promontory; a rocky or outstanding hill, a summit, etc.
| a 1400–50 Alexander 5494 He stekis þam vp with þar stoures in a straite lawe, And..in þe nabb speris [= 5496 in þe roche stoppis]. 1688 Hickes Dict. Island. 108 Gnypa, summitas rupis vel montis. A. Bor. a nabb. [Hence in Ray, 1691.] a 1800 Old rhyme in Proc. Berw. Nat. Club (1837) I. v. 149 St. Abb's upon the nabs, St. Helen's on the lea. 1828 G. Young Geol. Surv. Yorks. 98 At Clayton point and other nabs to the south of Scarborough. 1843 Cooper Sussex Gloss., Nab, the summit of a hill. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., Nab, a rocky projection from the land into the sea, as Saltwick Nab. 1877 Dixon Diana, Lady Lyle II. vii. i. 173 This nose of land starts up into a nab or peak, on which stands a feudal edifice. |
| attrib. 1891 Atkinson Moorland 42 Soaring hill and deepening dale, abrupt nab-end and craggy wood. |
b. A projecting tuft or clump.
| 1848 E. Brontë Wuthering Heights xxi, Will you just turn this nab of heath, and walk into my house? |
2. A projection or spur on the bolt of a lock (see first quot.). Also attrib.
| 1677 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 27 The Toe, or Nab of the Bolt, which rises..above the Straight on the Top of the Bolt: The Office of this Nab, is to receive the Bottom of the Bit of the Key, when in turning it about, it shoots the Bolt backward or forwards. Ibid. 28 The Nab end. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) X. 111/2 To the main plate [of a lock] belong the key-hole,..bolt-toe or bolt-knab. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Nab, the bolt-toe, or cock of a gun-lock. |
b. The keeper of a door lock.
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 1505/1. |
▪ II. † nab, n.2 Obs. slang.
[Of uncertain origin: cf. the later nob and knob in sense 1.]
1. The head. Also Comb.
| 1567 Harman Caveat 86, I tower that bene bouse makes nase nabes. I se that good drinke makes a dronken head. 1608 Dekker Lanth. & Candle Lt. c iij b, The Ruffin cly the nab of the Harman beck. 1622 Fletcher Beggar's Bush iii. iv, I crown thy nab with a gage of benebowse. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Nab-girder, a Bridle. |
b. The head of a stick. rare—1.
| 1616 Dekker Lanth. & Candle Lt. (ed. 2) P, He carries a short staffe..having in the Nab or head of it a Ferme (that is to say, a hole). |
2. A hat.
| 1673 R. Head Canting Acad. 33 Cast our Nabs [Fletcher caps] and Cares away, This is beggars Holiday. 1688 Shadwell Sqr. Alsatia ii. Wks. 1720 IV. 47 Here's a Nabb! you never saw such a one in your Life... A rum Nabb: It is a Beaver of 5l. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Pentice Nab, a very broad-brim'd Hat. 1729 Fielding Pleas. Town Wks. 1775 I. 223, I was..enquiring after you, when your boy brought your nab (Oh,..that the son of a King should pawn a hat!). 1754 ― J. Wild ii. vi. There were..those who preferred the nab, or trencher hat, with the brim flapping over their eyes. |
3. ‘A coxcomb’ (a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew).
▪ III. nab, n.3
(næb)
[f. nab v.1]
1. slang. One who ‘nabs’; a police officer.
| 1813 British Press 29 July 178 A nab stepp'd in and show'd his writ. 1852 Judson Myst. New York iv. (Farmer), I don't know..about no persuits, 'cept the nab's persuits. 1967 New Yorker 27 May 32/3, I talk him into splitting the scene and we start hitchhiking back down Sunset, and just like that the Nabs stop us for bumming rides. 1971 J. Wainwright Dig Grave 78 All the nabs in the world were in the downstairs front. |
2. A snatch, bite. rare.
| 1867 F. H. Ludlow Little Brother 47 And then [the dog] turned to see if there wasn't a chance of getting a nab at his plump little calves. |
▪ IV. nab, n.4
Sc. var. of nob, a person of note.
Also written knab: see Jamieson and Eng. Dial Dict.
▪ V. nab, v.1 slang or colloq.
(næb)
Also 9 knab.
[Of obscure origin: cf. nap v.3 in the same sense.]
1. trans. To catch (a person) and take into custody; to apprehend or arrest; to catch, seize, or pounce upon (one) in wrong-doing.
| 1686 F. Spence tr. Varillas' Ho. Medicis 407 Verselli was nabb'd playing at dice. 1688 Shadwell Sqr. Alsatia iii. Wks. 1720 IV. 56 Our Suffolk Heir is nabb'd, for a small Business: and I must find him some Sham-bail. 1694 Motteux Rabelais iv. xii, He sends to him one of these Catchpoles or Apparitors who nabs, or at least cites him, serves a Writ or Warrant upon him. 1748 Smollett Rod. Rand. xxiii, They embraced the prisoner..and asked how long she had been nabb'd. 1768 Goldsm. Good-n. Man iii, Ay, but if so be a man's nabbed, you know. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxix, Don't keep chattering till some travellers come up to nab us. 1838 Dickens O. Twist xliv, ‘It..reminds you of being nabbed, does it?’ said the Jew... ‘Reminds me of being nabbed by the devil’, returned Sikes. 1886 G. R. Sims Ring o' Bells ii. vi, Jack's in prison... Must have been nabbed while I was abroad. |
b. To catch, in other applications.
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew s.v., I'll Nab ye, I'll have your Hat or Cap. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 335 Let's see, what have I said?—Ay, by my Soul, you have nabbed me cleverly. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 168 If Puss can't nab ye by the nose, I'll find a scheme..To save my bread. |
2. To snatch or seize (a thing); to steal.
| 1814 Sporting Mag. XLIV. 47 All was lost, Save what was nabb'd to pay the cost. 1831 E. J. Trelawny Adv. Younger Son II. 68 As surly..as a bull-dog with his bone, when an impudent cur offers to knab it. 1851 Mayhew Lond. Lab. I. 51/2 Mr. ― nabs the chance of putting his customers awake. |
b. intr. To snatch at a thing.
| 1803 ‘Christopher Caustic’ [Fessenden] Terrible Tract. i. (ed. 2) 43, I learnt these from as nice a rabbit As naturalist could wish to nab at. |
3. to nab the rust: (see quots. and cf. Eng. Dial. Dict. s.v. Nab).
| 1801 Sporting Mag. XVIII. 101 To nab the rust; a jockey term for a horse that is restive. 1881 Isle of Wight Gloss., Nab the rust, to be angry or sulky. |
† 4. ‘To cog a die’ (Phillips 1706). Obs.—0
▪ VI. nab, v.2 dial.
(næb)
[var. of knab v.]
1. trans. and intr. To bite gently, to nibble.
| 1678 Butler Hud. iii. ii. 1457 To nab the itches of their sects, As jades do one another's necks. 1750 Ellis Sheph. Guide 232 The sheep may nab and eat. 1775 Ash, Nab, to bite, to bite with repeated quick but gentle motion. 1891 Hartland Gloss., Nab, to nibble or bite gently. |
2. To speak affectedly. rare—1. (Cf. gnap v., knap v.1 4.)
| 1895 Sarah Tytler Macdonald Lass iv, I would as soon face one of the cutters' captains, nabbing his English. |
▪ VII. nab
in phr. hab (or) nab, etc.: see hab.