grope

grope
[[t]gro͟ʊp[/t]]
gropes, groping, groped
1) VERB If you grope for something that you cannot see, you try to find it by moving your hands around in order to feel it.

[V for n] With his left hand he groped for the knob, turned it, and pulled the door open...

[V adv/prep] Bunbury groped in his breast pocket for his wallet.

Syn:
2) VERB If you grope your way to a place, you move there, holding your hands in front of you and feeling the way because you cannot see anything.

[V way prep/adv] I didn't turn on the light, but groped my way across the room.

Syn:
3) VERB If you grope for something, for example the solution to a problem, you try to think of it, when you have no real idea what it could be.

[V for n] He groped for solutions to the problems facing the country...

[V for n] She groped for a simple word to express a simple idea. [Also V towards n]

Derived words:
groping plural N-VAR

They continue their groping towards a constitutional settlement.

4) VERB (disapproval) If one person gropes another, they touch or take hold of them in a rough, sexual way. [INFORMAL]

[V n] He would try to grope her breasts and put his hand up her skirt.

N-COUNT
Grope is also a noun.

She even boasted of having a grope in a cupboard with a 13-year-old.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Grope — (gr[=o]p), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Groped} (gr[=o]pt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Groping}.] [OE. gropen, gropien, grapien, AS. gr[=a]pian to touch, grope, fr. gr[imac]pan to gripe. See {Gripe}.] 1. To feel with or use the hands; to handle. [Obs.] [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Grope — Grope, v. t. 1. To search out by feeling in the dark; as, we groped our way at midnight. [1913 Webster] 2. To examine; to test; to sound. [Obs.] Chaucer. [1913 Webster] Felix gropeth him, thinking to have a bribe. Genevan Test. (Acts xxiv. ).… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • grope — (v.) O.E. grapian to feel about (as one blind or in darkness), originally lay hold of, seize, touch, attain, related to gripan grasp at (see GRIPE (Cf. gripe)). Figurative sense is from early 14c. Indecent sense (marked as obsolete in OED) is… …   Etymology dictionary

  • grope — [v] feel about for cast about, examine, explore, feel blindly, finger*, fish*, flounder, fumble, grabble, handle, manipulate, poke, pry, root, scrabble, search, touch; concepts 34,216,612 …   New thesaurus

  • grope — ► VERB 1) feel about or search blindly or uncertainly with the hands. 2) informal feel or fondle (someone) for sexual pleasure, especially against their will. ► NOUN informal ▪ an act of groping someone. ORIGIN Old English, related to GRIPE(Cf.… …   English terms dictionary

  • grope — [grōp] vi. groped, groping [ME gropien < OE grapian, to touch, seize, akin to Ger greifen, to grasp: for IE base see GRIPE] to feel or search about blindly, hesitantly, or uncertainly; feel one s way vt. 1. to seek or find (one s way) by… …   English World dictionary

  • grope — I UK [ɡrəʊp] / US [ɡroʊp] verb Word forms grope : present tense I/you/we/they grope he/she/it gropes present participle groping past tense groped past participle groped 1) a) grope or grope around [intransitive] to search for something inside a… …   English dictionary

  • grope — v. 1) (D; intr.) to grope for (to grope for one s keys) 2) (P; intr.) to grope around (in the dark) * * * [grəʊp] (P; intr.) to grope around (in the dark) (D; intr.) to grope for (to grope for one s keys) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • grope — grope1 [grəup US group] v [: Old English; Origin: grapian] 1.) [I ] to try to find something that you cannot see by feeling with your hands grope for ▪ Ginny groped for her glasses on the bedside table. grope around ▪ We groped around in the… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • grope — grope1 [ group ] verb 1. ) grope or grope around intransitive to search for something inside a container, bag, etc. by feeling with your hands: She was groping around in her purse for her keys. a ) transitive to try to get to a place by feeling… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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