grapple
[ grap-uhl ]
/ ˈgræp əl /
verb (used without object), grap·pled, grap·pling.
verb (used with object), grap·pled, grap·pling.
to seize, hold, or fasten with or as with a grapple.
to seize in a grip, take hold of: The thug grappled him around the neck.
noun
QUIZZES
LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!
Are you learning Spanish? Or do you just have an interest in foreign languages? Either way, this quiz on Spanish words for animals is for you.
Question 1 of 13
How do you say “cat” 🐈 in Spanish?
Origin of grapple
1520–30; apparently a frequentative of Old English gegrǣppian to seize; associated with grapnel
OTHER WORDS FROM grapple
grappler, nounin·ter·grap·ple, verb, in·ter·grap·pled, in·ter·grap·pling.un·grap·pled, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for grapple
I was at Plymouth dreading to hear of him; he sent in letters, but the Grappler was under orders for Portsmouth.
Persuasion|Jane AustenWhen Timéa looked out of the cabin window, she only saw that Timar stood at the bow with a grappler in his hand.
Timar's Two Worlds|Mr JkaiI saw it strike the cable steamship Grappler broadside on and capsize her.
The San Francisco Calamity|VariousAt six, A.M., December 30th, all was in readiness for the Grappler to leave the harbour.
Narratives of Shipwrecks of the Royal Navy; between 1793 and 1849|William O. S. Gilly
British Dictionary definitions for grapple
grapple
/ (ˈɡræpəl) /
verb
to come to grips with (one or more persons), esp to struggle in hand-to-hand combat
(intr foll by with) to cope or contendto grapple with a financial problem
(tr) to secure with a grapple
noun
any form of hook or metal instrument by which something is secured, such as a grapnel
- the act of gripping or seizing, as in wrestling
- a grip or hold
a contest of grappling, esp a wrestling match
Derived forms of grapple
grappler, nounWord Origin for grapple
C16: from Old French grappelle a little hook, from grape hook; see grapnel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012