verb

beccare

catch · bump into · get

Prendere o colpire qualcuno o qualcosa, spesso per caso o in modo improvviso.

Word: beccare

Meaning:

Primary meaning:
"Beccare" literally means "to peck" or "to pick at," typically referring to the action that birds perform when they use their beaks (il becco) to peck food or an object.
Figurative/Colloquial meanings:

To catch or get caught doing something (like getting caught in the act of doing something wrong).
To "get" or "receive" something, like trouble or a hit.
Informally, it can mean "to have" (in relationships), like "He got himself a girlfriend" — beccare una ragazza.

Parts:

becco: means "beak," which comes from Latin beccus.
The verb beccare is derived from "becco" and means "to use the beak to peck."

Synonyms:

For the literal meaning (peck):
- picchiare (to peck, though more general as "to hit")
- pizzicare (to pinch or nip)
For "catch"/"get caught" meaning:
- prendere (to catch)
- acchiappare (to catch, to grab)
- beccarsi (to get, sometimes with negative connotation like "catch a cold or a punishment")

Antonyms:

For the literal action of pecking, there might be no direct antonym, but:
- evitare (to avoid)
- schivare (to dodge)
For "get caught" or "to receive," antonyms might be:
- salvarsi (to save oneself, to get away)
- scappare (to run away)

Summary:

"Beccare" primarily means "to peck" as a bird does with its beak, but colloquially, it's also used to indicate catching or getting something, either physically or figuratively (like trouble, illness, or a partner). The verb often appears in phrases where someone is caught doing something or is receiving something.