(~s, ~ping, ~ped)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ something, you take hold of it with your hand and continue to hold it firmly.
She ~ped the rope.
VERB: V n
2.
A ~ is a firm, strong hold on something.
His strong hand eased the bag from her ~.
N-COUNT: oft poss N
3.
Someone’s ~ on something is the power and control they have over it.
The president maintains an iron ~ on his country...
Tony Blair last night tightened his ~ on Labour mps with new powers to root out trouble-makers.
N-SING: with supp, oft N on n
4.
If something ~s you, it affects you very strongly.
The entire community has been ~ped by fear.
VERB: V n
5.
If you are ~ped by something such as a story or a series of events, your attention is concentrated on it and held by it.
The nation is ~ped by the dramatic story.
VERB: usu passive, be V-ed
~ping
The film turned out to be a ~ping thriller.
= riveting
ADJ
6.
If things such as shoes or car tyres have ~, they do not slip.
...a new way of reinforcing rubber which gives car tyres better ~.
N-UNCOUNT
7.
A ~ is a bag that is smaller than a suitcase, and that you use when you are travelling.
N-COUNT
8.
If you get to ~s with a problem or if you come to ~s with it, you consider it seriously, and start taking action to deal with it.
The government’s first task is to get to ~s with the economy.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
9.
If you get a ~ on yourself, you make an effort to control or improve your behaviour or work.
PHRASE: V inflects
10.
If a person, group, or place is in the ~ of something, they are being severely affected by it.
Britain is still in the ~ of recession.
...a region in the ~ of severe drought.
PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR n
11.
If you lose your ~, you become less efficient and less confident, and less able to deal with things.
PHRASE: V inflects
12.
If you say that someone has a ~ on reality, you mean they recognize the true situation and do not have mistaken ideas about it.
Shakur loses his fragile ~ on reality and starts blasting away at friends and foe alike.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v