Etymology Verb from Middle English grippen, from Old English grippan, from a Proto-Germanic *gripjaną (compare Old High German gripfen); compare the related Old English grīpan, whence English gripe. See also grope, and the related Proto-Germanic *grīpaną. Noun from Middle English grippe, gripe, an amalgam of Old English gripe (“grasp, hold”) (cognate with German Griff) and Old English gripa (“handful”) (cognate with Swedish grepp).
1
To take hold (of), particularly with the hand.
That suitcase is heavy, so grip the handle firmly.
Unfortunately the glue didn't grip, and the whole thing came apart.
3 more examples
After a few slips, the tires gripped the pavement.
"Grip tightly on the rope!" — "I'm gripping! I'm gripping!"
When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
2
To figuratively take hold of or grasp.
We need to grip this problem, not shut our eyes and hope it goes away.
3
Of an emotion or situation: to have a strong effect upon.
As the water level began to rise, I was gripped by panic.
[…] I lost something of the stifling fear that had gripped me, and could listen with more ease to what was going forward.[1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC:
Etymology Verb from Middle English grippen, from Old English grippan, from a Proto-Germanic *gripjaną (compare Old High German gripfen); compare the related Old English grīpan, whence English gripe. See also grope, and the related Proto-Germanic *grīpaną. Noun from Middle English grippe, gripe, an amalgam of Old English gripe (“grasp, hold”) (cognate with German Griff) and Old English gripa (“handful”) (cognate with Swedish grepp).
A hold or way of holding, particularly with the hand.
It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.
The ball will move differently depending on the grip used when throwing it.
2
Ability to resist slippage when pressed in contact with another object or surface.
These tyres are worn out and don't have much grip.
3
A place to grip; a handle; the portion of a handle that the hand occupies.
Near-synonym: handgrip
There are several good grips on the northern face of this rock.
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The grip of a sword is part of its hilt.
4
Abbreviation, Broadly, Ellipsis Ellipsis of pistol grip.
5
A device, or a portion of one, that grasps or holds fast to something.
The unthreaded portion of the bolt's shank is called the grip.
6
An apparatus attached to a car (e.g., cable car, funicular car, mine car) for clutching a traction cable.
7
Figuratively Control, power, or mastery over someone or something; a tenacious grasp; a holding fast.
We need to get a grip on these spiralling costs.
in the grip of a blackmailer
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to strengthen one's grip on a company
On the western sector, General Maltby tried to free the Japanese grip on Shouson Hill and Repulse Bay by sending the Punjabis to advance from Aberdeen to clear the road.1978, G. B. Endacott, “The Assault on the Island: the First Three Days”, in Hong Kong Eclipse, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 94:
Dotcom mania was slow in coming to higher education, but now it has the venerable industry firmly in its grip. Since the launch early last year of Udacity and Coursera, two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations.2013 July 20, “The attack of the MOOCs”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
The current president toppled his uncle in a violent coup in 1979, before sentencing him to death by firing squad. Since then, he has consolidated his grip over the country's industries and is accused of diverting tax money into his personal accounts.2016 June 22, Max Bearak, “The world’s longest-serving president just appointed his son as VP”, in The Washington Post:
For God's sake man, stop panicking and get a grip of yourself!
9
A medium-sized bag or holdall for one's belongings, made of soft leather, canvas etc., and carried in the hand by two handles, one either side of the opening.
It so happened that, during a stretch of inclement weather in the fall, Lester was seized with a mild form of grip. When he felt the first symptoms he thought that his indisposition would be a matter of short duration, and tried to overcome it by taking a hot bath and a liberal dose of quinine. But the infection was stronger than he counted on; by morning he was flat on his back, with a severe fever and a splitting headache.1911, Theodore Dreiser, chapter XXXII, in Jennie Gerhardt:
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Grip! Grip!! The little touch of grip you had is no excuse for following the example of some of our "best citizens" who make every little ailment a pretext for dallying with the "demon"!!!!!1908, A.D. Condo, The Outbursts of Everett True:
16
A small travelling-bag or gripsack.
Archaic except rail transport
'I put my grips against the communicating door last night'.1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 4, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 35:
Etymology From Middle English grip, grippe, gryppe (“a ditch, drain”), from Old English grēp (“a furrow, burrow”) and grēpe (“a furrow, ditch, drain”), from Proto-Germanic *grōpiz (“a furrow, groove”). Cognate with Middle Dutch grippe, gruppe (“ditch, drain”), greppe, German Low German Gruppe (“ditch, drain”). Related also to Old English grōp (“a ditch, drain”). More at groop.
1
Dialectal A small ditch or trench; a channel to carry off water or other liquid; a drain.
2
A channel cut through a grass verge, especially for the purpose of draining water away from the highway.
Etymology From Middle English grip, grippe, gryppe (“a ditch, drain”), from Old English grēp (“a furrow, burrow”) and grēpe (“a furrow, ditch, drain”), from Proto-Germanic *grōpiz (“a furrow, groove”). Cognate with Middle Dutch grippe, gruppe (“ditch, drain”), greppe, German Low German Gruppe (“ditch, drain”). Related also to Old English grōp (“a ditch, drain”). More at groop.