Advertisement

Origin and history of grip

grip(v.)

Old English grippan "to grip, seize, obtain" (class I strong verb; past tense grap, past participle gripen), from West Germanic *greipanan (source also of Old High German gripfen "to rob," Old English gripan "to seize;" see gripe (v.)). Related: Gripped; gripping. French gripper "to seize," griffe "claw" are Germanic loan-words.

grip(n.)

c. 1200, "act of grasping or seizing; power or ability to grip," fusion of Old English gripe "grasp, clutch" and gripa "handful, sheaf" (see grip (v.)). Figurative use from mid-15c. Meaning "a handshake" (especially one of a secret society) is from 1785. Meaning "that by which anything is grasped" is from 1867. Meaning "stage hand" is from 1888, from their work shifting scenery.

also from c. 1200

Entries linking to grip

gripe(v.)

c. 1200, "to clutch, seize firmly," from Old English gripan "grasp at, lay hold, attack, take, seek to get hold of," from Proto-Germanic *gripan, a word of uncertain origin, perhaps (Watkins) from PIE root *ghreib- "to grip" (source also of Lithuanian griebiu, griebti "to seize").

Germanic cognates include Old Saxon gripan, Old Norse gripa, Dutch grijpen, Gothic greipan, Old High German grifan, German greifen "to seize."

The figurative sense of "complain, grouse" is attested by 1932, probably from earlier meaning "produce a gripping pain in the bowels" (c. 1600; compare belly-ache). Related: Griped; griping.

gripping(adj.)

"grasping the emotions," 1896, figurative use of present-participle adjective from grip (v.).

Advertisement

More to explore

grippe
"epidemic influenza," 1776, probably from French grippe "influenza," originally "seizure," verbal noun from gripper "to grasp, hook," from Frankish or another Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *gripanan (see grip (v.), gripe (v.)). Supposedly in reference to constriction of th
fascinate
1590s, "bewitch, enchant," from French fasciner (14c.), from Latin fascinatus, past participle of fascinare "bewitch, enchant, fascinate," from fascinus "a charm, enchantment, spell, witchcraft," which is of uncertain origin. Earliest used of witches and of serpents, who were sai
transfix
1580s, "pierce through, impale," from French transfixer (15c.), from Latin transfixus "impaled," past participle of transfigere "to impale, pierce through," from trans "across, beyond; through" (see trans-) + figere "to fix, fasten" (from PIE root *dheigw- "to stick, fix"). Figur
ample
from Latin amplus "large, spacious; abundant, numerous; magnificent, distinguished," which is related to ampla "handle, grip...
emprise
Archaic in English; in French now with a literal sense "a hold, a grip."...
absorb
Figurative meaning "to completely grip (one's) attention" is from 1763....
clamp
It took the place of earlier clam "clamp, brace," from Old English clamm "bond, fetter, grip, grasp" (see clam (n.))....
gum
c. 1300, "resin from dried sap of plants," from Old French gome "(medicinal) gum, resin," from Late Latin gumma, from Latin gummi, from Greek kommi "gum," from Egyptian kemai. As the name of a hardened, sweetened gelatine mixture as a candy, 1827. As a shortened form of chewing g
mug
"small, cylindrical drinking vessel, often with a handle," 1560s, "bowl, pot, jug," a word of unknown origin, perhaps from Scandinavian (compare Swedish mugg "earthen cup, jug," Norwegian mugge "pitcher, open can for warm drinks"), or Low German mokke, mukke "mug," also of unknow
influence
late 14c., an astrological term, "streaming ethereal power from the stars when in certain positions, acting upon character or destiny of men," from Old French influence "emanation from the stars that acts upon one's character and destiny" (13c.), also "a flow of water, a flowing

Share grip

Advertisement
Trending
Dictionary entries near grip
Advertisement