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grip

Syllabification: (grip)
Pronunciation: /grip/
Translate grip | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of grip

verb (grips, gripping, gripped)

[with object]
  • 1take and keep a firm hold of; grasp tightly:his knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel
  • [no object] maintain a firm contact, especially by friction:a sole that really grips well on wet rock
  • 2(of a feeling or emotion) deeply affect (someone):she was gripped by a feeling of excitement
  • compel the attention or interest of:she gripped us from the first sentence

noun

  • 1 [in singular] a firm hold; a tight grasp or clasp:his arm was held in a vicelike grip figurativethe icy grip of winter
  • a manner of grasping or holding something:I’ve changed my grip and my backswing
  • the ability of something, especially a wheel or shoe, to maintain a firm contact with a surface:these shoes have got no grip
  • [in singular] an effective form of control over something:our firm grip on inflation
  • [in singular] an intellectual understanding of something:you’ve got a pretty good grip on what’s going on
  • 2a part or attachment by which something is held in the hand:handlebar grips
  • 3a traveling bag:a grip crammed with new clothes
  • 4an assistant in a theater; a stagehand.
  • a member of a camera crew responsible for moving and setting up equipment.

Phrases

come (or get) to grips with

engage in combat with:they never came to grips with the enemy
begin to deal with or understand:a real tough problem to come to grips with

get a grip

[usually in imperative] informal keep or recover one’s self-control:get a grip, guys!

get a grip on

take control of:the Fed will have to act to get a grip on inflation

in the grip of

dominated or affected by something undesirable or adverse:people caught in the grip of a drug problem

lose one's grip

become unable to understand or control one’s situation:an elderly person who seems to be losing his grip

Derivatives

gripper

noun

Origin:

Old English grippa (verb), gripe 'grasp, clutch' (noun), gripa 'handful, sheath'; related to gripe

grip in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of grip in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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