grip

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A tight hold; a firm grasp: a drowning swimmer now safely in the grip of a lifeguard.
2. n. The pressure or strength of such a grasp: a wrestler with an unmatched grip.
3. n. A manner of grasping and holding: The crate afforded no comfortable grip.
4. n. Intellectual hold; understanding: a good grip on French history.
5. n. Ability to function properly or well; competence: getting a grip on the new technique.
6. n. Mental or emotional composure: lost his grip after he was fired.
7. n. A mechanical device that grasps and holds.
8. n. A part, such as a handle, that is designed to be grasped and held.
9. n. A suitcase or valise.
10. n. A stagehand who helps in shifting scenery.
11. n. A member of a film production crew who adjusts sets, lighting, and props and sometimes assists the camera operator.
12. v. To secure and maintain a tight hold on; seize firmly.
13. v. To hold the interest or attention of: a scene that gripped the entire audience.
14. v. To maintain a secure grasp.
15. n. Variant of grippe.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To grasp firmly with the hand; gripe; hence, to seize and hold fast by force of any kind.
2. Nautical, to take hold; hold fast: as, the anchor grips.
3. n. The act of grasping strongly with the hand or by other means; a seizing and holding fast; firm grasp: as, a friendly grip; the grip of a vise.
4. n. Mode of grasping; specifically, the grasp peculiar to any secret society as a means of recognition: as, the masonic grip.
5. n. That by which anything is grasped; a handle or hilt: as, the grip of a bow, of a sword or dagger, or of a gun-stock. See barrel, 5 .
6. n. In mining, a purchase or lifting-dog used to draw up boring-rods, by catching them under the collar at the joints.
7. n. In theatrical cant, a man employed to move scenery and properties.
8. n. A gripsack (which see).
9. n. A hole through which tarred rope is drawn, to press the tar into the yarn and remove the superfluous portion. Also called gage and sliding-nippers.
10. n. A clutching device attached to a railroad-car for connecting it with a moving traction-cable as a means of propulsion. See cable-railroad.
11. n. Epidemic influenza: same as grippe.
12. n. A small ditch or trench; a channel to carry off water or other liquid; a drain.
13. n. Any kind of sink.
14. To trench; drain; cut into ditches or channels.
15. n. See gripe.
16. n. In track athletics, apiece of cork, shaped to fit the hollow of the hand, which a runner grips when running.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive To take hold of, particularly with the hand.
2. v. transitive To help or assist, particularly in an emotional sense.
3. v. intransitive To do something with another that makes you happy/gives you relief
4. n. A hold or way of holding, particularly with the hand.
5. n. A handle or other place to grip.
6. n. film production A person responsible for handling equipment on the set.
7. n. A channel cut through a grass verge (especially for the purpose of draining water away from the highway).
8. n. A lot of something.
9. n. Archaic spelling of grippe: Influenza, flu.
10. n. archaic A small travelling-bag.
11. n. Assistance; help or encouragement.
12. n. A helpful, interesting, admirable, or inspiring person.
13. n. slang As much as one can hold in a hand; a handful.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.), obsolete The griffin.
2. n. A small ditch or furrow.
3. v. To trench; to drain.
4. n. An energetic or tenacious grasp; a holding fast; strength in grasping.
5. n. A peculiar mode of clasping the hand, by which members of a secret association recognize or greet, one another.
6. n. That by which anything is grasped; a handle or gripe.
7. n. A device for grasping or holding fast to something.
8. n. Specif., an apparatus attached to a car for clutching a traction cable.
9. n. colloq. A gripsack; a hand bag; a satchel or suitcase.
10. n. (Med.) The influenza; grippe.
11. v. To give a grip to; to grasp; to gripe.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the friction between a body and the surface on which it moves (as between an automobile tire and the road)
2. n. the appendage to an object that is designed to be held in order to use or move it
3. v. to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe
4. n. worker who moves the camera around while a film or television show is being made
5. n. an intellectual hold or understanding
6. n. the act of grasping
7. v. to grip or seize, as in a wrestling match
8. n. a portable rectangular container for carrying clothes
9. v. hold fast or firmly
10. n. a flat wire hairpin whose prongs press tightly together; used to hold bobbed hair in place