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grip

/ˈɡɹɪp/ noun

In Latin: ampla Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about grip at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. The act of grasping.
    he released his clasp on my arm
  2. The appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it.
    he grabbed the hammer by the handle
  3. A portable rectangular container for carrying clothes.
    he carried his small bag onto the plane with him

verb

  1. Hold fast or firmly.
    He gripped the steering wheel
  2. To grip or seize, as in a wrestling match.
    the two men grappled with each other for several minutes
  3. To render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe.
    The snake charmer fascinates the cobra

Origin

Verb from Middle English grippen, from Old English grippan, from a Proto-Germanic *gripjaną (compare Old High German gripfen); compare the related Old English grīpan, whence English gripe. See also grope, and the related Proto-Germanic *grīpaną. Noun from Middle English grippe, gripe, an amalgam of Old English gripe (“grasp, hold”) (cognate with German Griff) and Old English gripa (“handful”) (cognate with Swedish grepp).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)