English Explanatory Dictionary

grapple

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To seize something and hold it firmly.
  2. To wrestle or tussle.
  3. To ponder and intensely evaluate a problem; to struggle to deal with.
noun
  1. A close hand-to-hand struggle.
  2. The act of grappling. (uncountable)
noun
  1. A tool with claws or hooks which is used to catch or hold something.
  2. A device consisting of iron claws, attached to the end of a rope, used for grasping and holding an enemy ship prior to boarding; a grappling iron.
  3. A grapnel (“type of anchor”).
verb
  1. To fasten, as with a grapple; (by extension) to fix; to join indissolubly.
  2. To climb (whether by means of a grapple and rope, or by hand, etc).
  3. To use a grapple (for example to attempt to find, hook, and raise a net or cable).
  4. To hook and raise with a grapple.
noun
  1. A combination of grape and apple flavors.

Pronunciation

grăpʹəl /ˈɡɹæpəl/ en-ca-grapple.oga en-au-grapple.ogg

Word forms

grapple grapples grappling grappled graple

Etymology

From Middle English *grapplen (“to seize, lay hold of”), from Old English *græpplian (“to seize”) (compare Old English ġegræppian (“to seize”)), from Proto-Germanic *graipilōną, *grabbalōną (“to seize”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- (“to take, seize, rake”), equivalent to grab + -le. Cognate with Dutch grabbelen (“to grope, scramble, scrabble”), German grabbeln (“to rummage, grope about”) and grapsen, grapschen (“to seize, grasp, grabble”). Influenced in some senses by grapple (“tool with claws or hooks”, noun) (see below). See further at grasp.

Derived words

gaffle grapplehook grapplement grappler grapplesome grapple with ungrapple grapple plant grappling tongs

Translations

Bulgarian: кука Czech: lodní hák Czech: kotvice Dutch: enterhaak Finnish: koura Finnish: entraushaka Finnish: heittokoukku French: grappin German: Enterhaken Italian: rampino Italian: raffio Kashubian: hôk Persian: چنگک Russian: ко́шка Spanish: arpeo
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