apanhados

Apanhados is the plural form of apanhado, a term in Portuguese derived from apanhar, meaning to catch, seize, or collect. The word has several related senses that vary by context.

In journalism and everyday speech, apanhados refers to people who have been caught or detained, typically by authorities or in a raid. It can function as a noun for the group of individuals apprehended, or as an adjective describing them: for example, os apanhados pela operação or os apanhados pela polícia.

In contexts such as fishing or hunting, apanhados denotes the catch or haul—things that have been captured as a result of the activity. The term emphasizes the outcome of the capture, rather than the act itself.

As an adjective, apanhado describes something that has been caught or seized. The expression estar apanhado de surpresa is a common idiom meaning to be taken by surprise, illustrating a figurative use of the origin sense of catching.

Etymology traces apanhados to the verb apanhar, which covers catching, seizing, collecting, or harvesting in various situations. The plural form is used when referring to multiple items or persons involved in one of these senses. See also apanhar, flagrante, captura for related terms.