Grapple Definition

grăpəl
grappled, grapples, grappling
noun
grapples
Webster's New World
An iron shaft with claws at one end, usually thrown by a rope and used for grasping and holding, especially one for drawing and holding an enemy ship alongside.
American Heritage
A device consisting of two or more hinged, movable iron prongs for grasping and moving heavy objects.
Webster's New World
The act of grappling.
American Heritage
A coming to grips; hand-to-hand fight.
Webster's New World
verb
grappled, grapples, grappling
To grip and hold; seize.
Webster's New World
To seize firmly with the hands.
American Heritage

To use a grapnel.

Webster's New World
To hold onto something with a grapple.
American Heritage
To struggle in hand-to-hand combat; wrestle.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Grapple

Noun

Singular:
grapple
Plural:
grapples

Origin of Grapple

  • 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 *ghreb(h)-, *ghrab(h)- (“to take, seize, rake”). Cognate with Dutch grabbelen (“to grope, scramble, scrabble”), German grabbeln (“to rummage, grope about”), German grapsen, grapschen (“to seize, grasp, grabble”). Influenced in some senses by grapple (“hook”, noun) (see below). More at grasp.

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English *grapple, *graple, from Old French grappil (“a ship's grapple”) (compare Old French grappin (“hook”)), from Old French grape, grappe, crape (“hook”), of Germanic origin, from Old Frankish *krappō (“hook”), from Proto-Germanic *krappô, *krappą (“hook”), from Proto-Indo-European *grep- (“hook”), *gremb- (“crooked, uneven”), from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to turn, bend, twist”). More at grape.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English grapel from Old French grapil diminutive of grape hook grape

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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