— griper , n. — gripeful , adj. — gripingly , adv.
/gruyp/ , v. , griped, griping , n.
v.i.
1. Informal. to complain naggingly or constantly; grumble.
2. to suffer pain in the bowels.
3. Naut. (of a sailing vessel) to tend to come into the wind; to be ardent.
v.t.
4. to seize and hold firmly; grip; grasp; clutch.
5. to produce pain in (the bowels) as if by constriction.
6. to distress or oppress.
7. to annoy or irritate: His tone of voice gripes me.
8. to grasp or clutch, as a miser.
9. Naut. to secure (a lifeboat) to a deck or against a pudding boom on davits.
n.
10. the act of gripping, grasping, or clutching.
11. Informal. a nagging complaint.
12. a firm hold; clutch.
13. a grasp; hold; control.
14. something that grips or clutches; a claw or grip.
15. Naut.
a. a lashing or chain by which a boat is secured to a deck or in position on davits.
b. Also called gripe piece . a curved timber connecting the stem or cutwater of a wooden hull with the keel.
c. the exterior angle or curve formed by this piece; forefoot.
d. the forward end of the dished keel of a metal hull.
16. a handle, hilt, etc.
17. Usually, gripes . Pathol. an intermittent spasmodic pain in the bowels.
[ 1350-1400; ME gripen, OE gripan; c. D grijpen, G griefen; see GRIP, GROPE ]
Syn. 1. whine, mutter, carp, rail, bellyache.