From Middle English gropien, from Old English grāpian, related to grīpan (whence English gripe); compare also grip.
Meanings
(informal) An act of groping, especially sexually.
The old man tried to get a quick grope of the young lady on the train.
(obsolete) An iron fitting of a medieval cart wheel.
Gropes appear to be pieces of iron binding together the inner joint of the fitting, and grope-nails to have been used for fastening these to the wood. 1866, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, volume 1, page 544:
From Middle English gropien, from Old English grāpian, related to grīpan (whence English gripe); compare also grip.
Meanings
(obsolete) To feel with or use the hands; to handle.
To search or attempt to find something in the dark, or, as a blind person, by feeling; to move about hesitatingly, as in darkness or obscurity; to feel one's way, as with the hands, when one can not see.
Yet there was no time to be lost if I was ever to get out alive, and so I groped with my hands against the side of the grave until I made out the bottom edge of the slab, and then fell to grubbing beneath it with my fingers. But the earth, which the day before had looked light and loamy to the eye, was stiff and hard enough when one came to tackle it with naked hands, and in an hour's time I had done little more than further weary myself and bruise my fingers. [1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC:
Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear. 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:
a. 1812. Joseph Stevens Buckminster, sermon
to grope about a little longer among the miseries and sensualities of a worldly life
In the hollow shades of the roof could be seen pale dangling arms of ivy which had crept through the joints of the tiles and were groping in vain for some support, their leaves being dwarfed and sickly for want of sunlight; [...] 1886 May – 1887 April, Thomas Hardy, chapter IV, in The Woodlanders […], volume I, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., published 1887, →OCLC, page 56:
Through the darkest sky, groping for the light / Like crying for the moon / Never-ending black, forgot what I want / Never felt that hard to me 2021, “The Roar of the Spark”, in Naoki Hashimoto (lyrics), Daisuke Ishiwatari (music), Necessary Discrepancy:
To touch (another person) closely and (especially) sexually.
The parents found the couple kissing and groping.
To intentionally and inappropriately touch or rub against another person, in such a manner as to make the contact appear accidental, for the purpose of one's sexual gratification.
That old man groped that girl on the train!
(obsolete) To examine; to test; to sound.
Felix gropeth him, thinking to have a bribe. 1557, Geneva Bible (Acts xxiv)
gl cotifar (to touch closely and sexually) · hu fogdos (to touch closely and sexually) · gl apalpar (to search by feeling) · ru нащу́пывать (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · cmn 摸索 (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · nl tasten (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · fi hipelöidä (to touch closely and sexually) · mi mori (to touch closely and sexually) · ro dezmierda (to touch closely and sexually) · it palpeggiare (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · de begrapschen (to touch closely and sexually) · grc ψηλαφάω (to search by feeling) · gl poupar (to search by feeling) · es palpar (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · es buscar a tientas (to search by feeling) · hu tapogatózik (to search by feeling) · fi kähmiä (to touch closely and sexually) · sv kladda (to touch closely and sexually) · fi kopeloida (to touch closely and sexually) · it tastare (to touch closely and sexually) · it tastare (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · es manosear (to touch closely and sexually) · ru ла́пать (to touch closely and sexually) · gd rùraich (to search by feeling) · fr tâtonner (to search by feeling) · fi kouria (to touch closely and sexually) · gl apalpar (to touch closely and sexually) · nn tafsa (to touch closely and sexually) · ro bâjbâi (to search by feeling) · fr tripoter (to touch closely and sexually) · la depsō (to touch closely and sexually) · izh koblia (to search by feeling) · cs tápat (to search by feeling) · hu tapogat (to touch closely and sexually) · mi tīnaonao (to search by feeling) · mi muhu (to search by feeling) · fi kosketella (to touch closely and sexually) · pt apalpar (to search by feeling) · fr tâter (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · fi käsitellä (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · az əlləşdirmək (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · cs osahávat (to touch closely and sexually) · es sobar (to touch closely and sexually) · it palpeggiare (to search by feeling) · ro mângâia (to touch closely and sexually) · fr tâtonner (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · pt apalpar (to touch closely and sexually) · it palpeggiare (to touch closely and sexually) · ja 探る (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · ru нащу́пывать (to search by feeling) · fr peloter (to touch closely and sexually) · la subigitō (to touch closely and sexually) · eo palpserĉi (to touch closely and sexually) · izh koblia (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · tr ellemek (to touch closely and sexually) · gl apalpar (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · az əlləmək (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · bg опипвам (to touch closely and sexually) · ru ласка́ть (to touch closely and sexually) · sv tafsa (to touch closely and sexually) · it tastare (to search by feeling) · ro pipăi (to touch closely and sexually) · ru ощу́пывать (to search by feeling) · fi tunnustella (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · ro giugiuli (to touch closely and sexually) · ro pipăi (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · tr avuçlamak (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · nl betasten (to search by feeling) · nl betasten (to touch closely and sexually) · de grapschen (to touch closely and sexually) · gl sobar (to touch closely and sexually) · mi whāwhā (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · fi kopeloida (to search by feeling) · sv talla (to touch closely and sexually) · es tantear (to search by feeling) · es agarrar (to touch closely and sexually) · hu taperol (to touch closely and sexually) · de herumtasten (to search by feeling) · tr yoklamak (to search by feeling) · de tasten (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · uz paypaslamoq (to search by feeling) · de tappen (to search by feeling) · pt apalpar (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · tr ellemek (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · sv antasta (to touch closely and sexually) · es meter mano (to touch closely and sexually) · ro pipăi (to search by feeling) · izh koblia (to touch closely and sexually) · nb tafse (to touch closely and sexually) · es magrear (to touch closely and sexually) · el πασπατεύω (to search by feeling) · tr avuçlamak (to touch closely and sexually) · eo palpi (to search by feeling) · hy խարխափել (to search by feeling) · el πασπατεύω (to touch closely and sexually) · it palpare (to touch closely and sexually) · fi puristella (to touch closely and sexually) · ru щу́пать (to touch closely and sexually) · gl tentar (to search by feeling) · cs hmatat (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · eo palpserĉi (to search by feeling) · bg опипвам (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · la perdepsō (to touch closely and sexually) · es palpar (to search by feeling) · nb beføle (to touch closely and sexually) · mi takamori (to touch closely and sexually) · mi whāwhā (to search by feeling) · cmn 摸索 (to search by feeling) · tr mıncıklamak (to touch closely and sexually) · tr el yordamıyla aramak (to search by feeling) · fi tunnustella (to search by feeling) · ja 痴漢する (to touch closely and sexually) · cmn 爱抚 (to touch closely and sexually) · ja 探る (to search by feeling) · sv famla (to search by feeling) · te తడుము (to search by feeling) · it palpare (obsolete: to feel with or use the hands) · bg търся пипнешком (to search by feeling) · cs šmátrat (to search by feeling) · fi hyväillä (to touch closely and sexually) · cs šátrat (to search by feeling) · ru щу́пать (to search by feeling) · hu tapizik (to touch closely and sexually) · he חָפַן (to touch closely and sexually)