zahvatiti

1. (of fire, weather, crisis) to engulf; to affect; to spread to
   Požar je zahvatio celu zgradu. — The fire engulfed the whole building.
   Talas vrućine zahvatio je Srbiju. — A heat wave has hit Serbia.
2. (of a feeling) to seize; to overcome
   Zahvatila ga je panika kad je video policiju. — He was seized by panic when he saw the police.
3. (of liquid, loose material) to scoop
   Zahvatio je vodu šakama i umio se. — He scooped up water in his hands and washed his face.
4. to grab; to grip
   Mašina mu je zahvatila rukav. — The machine caught his sleeve.
5. (of a topic, issue) to cover; to deal with
   Reforma je zahvatila sve oblasti obrazovanja. — The reform covered all areas of education.

The imperfective counterpart is zahvatati.