Adjacent Words

Grasp definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GR`ASP, v.t. To seize and hold by clasping or embracing with the fingers or arms. We say, to grasp with the hand, or with the arms.
1. To catch; to seize; to lay hold of; to take possession of. Kings often grasp more than they can hold.
GR`ASP, v.i. To catch or seize; to gripe.
1. To struggle; to strive. [Not in use.]
2. To encroach.
To grasp at, to catch at; to try to seize.
Alexander grasped at universal empire.
GR`ASP, n. The gripe or seizure of the hand. This seems to be its proper sense; but it denotes also a seizure by embrace, or infolding in the arms.
1. Possession; hold.
2. Reach of the arms; and figuratively, the power of seizing. Bonaparte seemed to think he had the Russian empire within his grasp.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something; "he has a good grasp of accounting practices" [syn: appreciation, grasp, hold]
2: the limit of capability; "within the compass of education" [syn: compass, range, reach, grasp]
3: an intellectual hold or understanding; "a good grip on French history"; "they kept a firm grip on the two top priorities"; "he was in the grip of a powerful emotion"; "a terrible power had her in its grasp" [syn: grip, grasp]
4: the act of grasping; "he released his clasp on my arm"; "he has a strong grip for an old man"; "she kept a firm hold on the railing" [syn: clasp, clench, clutch, clutches, grasp, grip, hold] v
1: hold firmly [syn: grasp, hold on]
2: get the meaning of something; "Do you comprehend the meaning of this letter?" [syn: grok, get the picture, comprehend, savvy, dig, grasp, compass, apprehend]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English graspen Date: 14th century intransitive verb to make the motion of seizing ; clutch transitive verb 1. to take or seize eagerly 2. to clasp or embrace especially with the fingers or arms 3. to lay hold of with the mind ; comprehend Synonyms: see take • graspable adjective • grasper noun II. noun Date: 1561 1. a. handle b. embrace 2. hold, control 3. a. the reach of the arms b. the power of seizing and holding or attaining <success lay within their grasp> 4. mental hold or comprehension especially when broad <a remarkable grasp of the subject>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 tr. a clutch at; seize greedily. b hold firmly; grip. 2 intr. (foll. by at) try to seize; accept avidly. 3 tr. understand or realize (a fact or meaning). --n. 1 a firm hold; a grip. 2 (foll. by of) a mastery or control (a grasp of the situation). b a mental hold or understanding (a grasp of the facts). 3 mental agility (a quick grasp). Phrases and idioms: grasp at a straw see STRAW. grasp the nettle tackle a difficulty boldly. within one's grasp capable of being grasped or comprehended by one. Derivatives: graspable adj. grasper n. Etymology: ME graspe, grapse perh. f. OE græpsan (unrecorded) f. Gmc, rel. to GROPE: cf. LG grapsen

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Grasp Grasp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Grasper; p. pr. & vb. n. Qraspine.] [OE. graspen; prob. akin to LG. grupsen, or to E. grope. Cf. Grab, Grope.] 1. To seize and hold by clasping or embracing with the fingers or arms; to catch to take possession of. Thy hand is made to grasp a palmer's staff. --Shak. 2. To lay hold of with the mind; to become thoroughly acquainted or conversant with; to comprehend.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Grasp Grasp, v. i. To effect a grasp; to make the motion of grasping; to clutch; to struggle; to strive. As one that grasped And tugged for life and was by strength subdued. --Shak. To grasp at, to catch at; to try to seize; as, Alexander grasped at universal empire,

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Grasp Grasp, n. 1. A gripe or seizure of the hand; a seizure by embrace, or infolding in the arms. ``The grasps of love.'' --Shak. 2. Reach of the arms; hence, the power of seizing and holding; as, it was beyond his grasp. 3. Forcible possession; hold. The whole space that's in the tyrant's grasp. --Shak. 4. Wide-reaching power of intellect to comprehend subjects and hold them under survey. The foremost minds of the next . . . era were not, in power of grasp, equal to their predecessors. --Z. Taylor. 5. The handle of a sword or of an oar.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(grasps, grasping, grasped) 1. If you grasp something, you take it in your hand and hold it very firmly. He grasped both my hands... She was trying to grasp at something. VERB: V n, V at n see also grasping 2. A grasp is a very firm hold or grip. His hand was taken in a warm, firm grasp. N-SING: with supp 3. If you say that something is in someone's grasp, you disapprove of the fact that they possess or control it. If something slips from your grasp, you lose it or lose control of it. The people in your grasp are not guests, they are hostages... She allowed victory to slip from her grasp. ...the task of liberating a number of states from the grasp of tyrants. N-SING: with poss, oft in/from N 4. If you grasp something that is complicated or difficult to understand, you understand it. The Government has not yet grasped the seriousness of the crisis... He instantly grasped that Stephen was talking about his wife. VERB: V n, V that 5. A grasp of something is an understanding of it. They have a good grasp of foreign languages. N-SING: with supp, usu N of N 6. If you say that something is within someone's grasp, you mean that it is very likely that they will achieve it. Peace is now within our grasp. PHRASE: v-link PHR

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

grasp: The word harpagmos (Php 2:6), is rendered by the King James Version "robbery," by the Revised Version (British and American) "a prize," and by the American Standard Revised Version "a thing to be grasped." By derivation the term may denote either an act of seizing or the aim or result of the action. In the context Paul is discussing, not Christ's opinion of His equality with God, but His amazing self-sacrifice in laying aside His equally for our sakes. He but laid it aside for us. It is better to render with the Revised Version (British and American) "a prize."

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. Clasp, gripe or grip, seize, clinch, clutch, catch, grapple, lay hold of. II. n. 1. Clasp, gripe or grip. 2. Hold, possession. 3. Reach, power of seizing or of comprehending, compass, scope.

Moby Thesaurus

abduct, absorb, accept, adhere, adhere to, agglomerate, appreciate, apprehend, apprehension, assimilate, awareness, be acquainted with, be apprised of, be aware of, be cognizant of, be conscious of, be conversant with, be informed, be with one, bear hug, bite, bunch, carry off, catch, catch on, clairvoyance, clamp, clasp, claws, cleave, cleave to, clench, clinch, cling, cling to, clinging, clip, clot, cluster, clutch, clutches, coagulate, cognize, cohere, command, compass, comprehend, comprehension, conceive, conception, conceptualization, conceptualize, congeal, conglomerate, control, death grip, dig, digest, discern, domination, dominion, embrace, envisage, fathom, firm hold, follow, foothold, footing, foreknowledge, freeze to, get, get hold of, get the drift, get the idea, get the picture, grab, grapple, grip, gripe, grow together, haft, hand, handle, hands, hang on, hang on to, hang together, have, have information about, have it taped, have knowledge of, helm, helve, hold, hold fast, hold on, hold on to, hold tight, hold together, hug, ideation, intellection, intelligence, iron grip, iron hand, jurisdiction, keep hold of, ken, kidnap, know, learn, lock, make out, mass, master, mastership, mastery, mental grasp, nab, never let go, nip, perceive, perception, persist, possess, possession, power, precognition, prehend, prehension, purchase, read, realize, recognize, reins of government, savvy, see, seize, seize the meaning, seizure, sense, set, shanghai, snatch, solidify, sovereignty, stay, stay put, stick, stick to, stick together, suzerainty, take, take hold of, take in, talons, tenure, throttle, tight grip, toehold, understand, understanding, wisdom, wot, wot of