cap snatching
transcription initiation process during which a nucleotide sequence between 10 and 20 nucleotides in size is cleaved from the 5' end of host mRNAs by a viral RNA-dependent polymerase. The capped leader sequence obtained is subsequently used to prim
en-US/ˈkæp sˈnæt͡ʃɪŋ/
en-GB/ˈkæp ˈsnæt͡ʃɪŋ/