v. 1 grip, grab, seize, clasp, clutch, snatch, hold, take or lay or catch hold of, Colloq nab I grasped the rope and was pulled to safety 2 understand, comprehend, appreciate, catch (on), get, get the drift or point of, follow, see, realize, apprehend, learn, Colloq make head(s) or tail(s) of, Slang dig I am trying to grasp the full import of what you are saying
n. 3 hold, grip, clutches, clasp, embrace, lock He loosened his grasp on my throat and I could breathe again 4 possession, control, power, mastery, sovereignty, suzerainty, hold By then, even the outer islands had fallen within his grasp 5 understanding, comprehension, apprehension, awareness, perception, sense He has a poor grasp of the basics of the subject