grope

verb

• 1 [no object, with adverbial] search blindly or uncertainly by feeling with the hands:she groped for her spectacles
• move along uncertainly by feeling objects as one goes:she blew out the candle and groped her way to the door
• (grope for) search uncertainly for (a word or answer) in one’s mind:she was groping for the words which would express what she thought

• 2 [with object] informal fondle (someone) for sexual pleasure roughly or clumsily, or without the person’s consent:he was accused of groping office girls

noun

• an act of fondling someone for sexual pleasure:she and Steve sneaked off for a quick grope