/ grəʊp; NAmE groʊp/ verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ v ] grope (around)(for sth) to try and find sth that you cannot see, by feeling with your hands :
He groped around in the dark for his other sock.
( figurative )
'It's so ... , so ... ' I was groping for the right word to describe it.
2.
[+ adv. / prep. ] to try and reach a place by feeling with your hands because you cannot see clearly :
[ vn ]
He groped his way up the staircase in the dark.
[ v ]
She groped through the darkness towards the doors.
3.
[ vn ] ( informal ) to touch sb sexually, especially when they do not want you to
■ noun
( informal ) an act of groping sb (= touching them sexually)
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English grāpian , of West Germanic origin; related to gripe .