Glom Onto
/ˈɡlɒm ˌɒnˈtuː/noun
To seize, obtain, or attach oneself to something, often eagerly or opportunistically.
Did you know?The verb “glom” emerged in American slang in the early twentieth century, but its deeper origin is uncertain and is often connected with Scots dialect words meaning “to grab” or “snatch.”
Etymological Timeline
Scots dialect, possibly 18th–19th Century
Scots
glaum / gloum
“To grasp, snatch, or handle clumsily; a proposed source of American slang glom”
Early 20th Century
American English
glom
“To steal, take, or seize; slang usage recorded in the United States”
Early 20th Century
American English
glom
“To obtain or latch onto something”
20th Century
English
onto
“On and to; indicating attachment, contact, or movement toward a position on something”
Modern English
English
glom onto
“To seize, acquire, or attach oneself to something, sometimes opportunistically”