grope

 
Pronunciation: /grəʊp/

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

Derivatives

gropingly

adverb

Origin:

Old English grāpian, of West Germanic origin; related to gripe