grip

[grip]

noun

1. the act of grasping; a seizing and holding fast; firm grasp.

2. the power of gripping.

   He has a strong grip.

3. a grasp, hold, or control.

4. mental or intellectual hold.

   to have a good grip on a problem.

5. competence or firmness in dealing with situations in one's work or personal affairs.

   The boss is old and is losing his grip.

6. a special mode of clasping hands.

   Members of the club use the secret grip.

7. something that seizes and holds, as a clutching device on a cable car.

8. a handle or hilt.

   That knife has a very unusual grip.

9. a sudden, sharp pain; spasm of pain.

10. grippe.

11. Older Use.,  a small traveling bag.

12. 1. Theater.,  a stagehand, especially one who works on the stage floor.

    2. Movies, Television.,  a general assistant available on a film set for shifting scenery, moving furniture, etc.

verb (used with object)

gripped, gript, gripping. 

1. to grasp or seize firmly; hold fast.

   We gripped the sides of the boat as the waves tossed us about.

2. to take hold on; hold the interest of.

   to grip the mind.

   Synonyms: fascinate, hold, rivet, attract, impress

3. to attach by a grip or clutch.

verb (used without object)

gripped, gript, gripping. 

1. to take firm hold; hold fast.

2. to take hold on the mind.

grip

¹

/ ɡrɪp /

noun

1. the act or an instance of grasping and holding firmly

   he lost his grip on the slope

2. Also called: handgrip. the strength or pressure of such a grasp, as in a handshake

   a feeble grip

3. the style or manner of grasping an object, such as a tennis racket

4. understanding, control, or mastery of a subject, problem, etc (esp in such phrases as get or have a grip on )

5. Also called: handgrip. a part by which an object is grasped; handle

6. Also called: handgrip. a travelling bag or holdall

7. See hairgrip

8. any device that holds by friction, such as certain types of brake

9. a method of clasping or shaking hands used by members of secret societies to greet or identify one another

10. a spasm of pain

    a grip in one's stomach

11. a worker in a camera crew or a stagehand who shifts sets and props, etc

12. a small drainage channel cut above an excavation to conduct surface water away from the excavation

13. (often foll by with)

    1. to deal with (a problem or subject)

    2. to tackle (an assailant)

verb

1. to take hold of firmly or tightly, as by a clutch

2. to hold the interest or attention of

   to grip an audience

grip

²

/ ɡrɪp /

noun

1. med a variant spelling of grippe

Other Word Forms

• grippingly adverb
• gripper noun
• gripless adjective
• regrip verb
• ungrip verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of grip¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English gripe “grasp” (noun); cognate with German Griff, Old English gripa “handful”; gripe

Word History and Origins

Origin of grip¹

Old English gripe grasp; related to Old Norse gripr property, Old High German grif

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. come to grips with,

   1. to encounter; meet; cope with.

      She had never come to grips with such a situation before.

   2. to deal with directly or firmly.

      We didn't come to grips with the real problem.

see come to grips with; get a grip on; lose one's grip.

Example Sentences

Huaman's employer and others in Peru are in the grips of an extortion wave that has claimed the lives of dozens of drivers, musicians and other professionals.

Read more on Barron's

Besides SchwuZ, Griessmuehle, Remise and Watergate are among the other Berlin venues to have turned the lights off for good as the "club death" phenomenon grips the German capital.

Read more on Barron's

The junta relies on military backing from China to maintain its grip on power.

Read more on Barron's

While GM sold a record number of electric vehicles in the quarter, the automaker is coming to grips with its over-investment in the technology.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mass rallies have gripped the Black Sea nation since a disputed parliamentary election last October plunged Tbilisi into turmoil and prompted the European Union to effectively freeze its accession bid.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• control 
• domination 
• grasp 
• influence