I. ˈgrōp verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English gropen, from Old English grāpian; akin to Old English grīpan to seize, attack — more at gripe
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to feel about (as with the hands) blindly or uncertainly or hesitantly in an attempt to find something or touch something
groping around in the shadowy room for a switch to turn on the light
groping for her arm
: reach out blindly
tottered at the edge of the cliff, groping at the air
b. : to look for something blindly or uncertainly or hesitantly : search about blindly
groping for the simplest ground rules of conduct — Gilbert Seldes
groped confusedly for words — E.A.McCourt
it was as though she groped after something which was vanishing — Victoria Sackville-West
2. : to move or act blindly or uncertainly or hesitantly : feel one's way
groping along through the darkness until they arrived at the door
when her mind is groping about in this new attitude it will be easy for me to influence her — Liam O'Flaherty
groping toward a solution to the problem
transitive verb
1.
a.
(1) obsolete : touch , handle ; specifically : grasp
(2) : to pass the hands over (the person of another) for the sake of sexual pleasure
b. now dialect Britain : to subject (as a criminal) to a manual search
2. : to come upon, ascertain, or find (as one's way) by feeling about blindly or uncertainly or hesitantly : search out blindly
the effort which it has cost our predecessors to grope their way through the mists of ignorance and superstition — J.G.Frazer
groped his way from the balcony to the bedroom door — Geoffrey Household
II. noun
( -s )
: the action of groping