| English Dictionary |
GRASPING
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does grasping mean?
• GRASPING (noun)
The noun GRASPING has 2 senses:
1. understanding with difficulty
2. the act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles)
Familiarity information: GRASPING used as a noun is rare.
• GRASPING (adjective)
The adjective GRASPING has 1 sense:
1. immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth
Familiarity information: GRASPING used as an adjective is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
Understanding with difficulty
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Context example:
the lecture was beyond his most strenuous graspings
Hypernyms ("grasping" is a kind of...):
apprehension; discernment; savvy; understanding (the cognitive condition of someone who understands)
Derivation:
grasp (get the meaning of something)
Sense 2
Meaning:
The act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Synonyms:
grasping; prehension; seizing; taking hold
Hypernyms ("grasping" is a kind of...):
control (the activity of managing or exerting control over something)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "grasping"):
clasp; clench; clutch; clutches; grasp; grip; hold (the act of grasping)
Derivation:
grasp (hold firmly)
grasping (immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth
Synonyms:
avaricious; covetous; grabby; grasping; greedy; prehensile
Context example:
prehensile employers stingy with raises for their employees
Similar:
acquisitive (eager to acquire and possess things especially material possessions or ideas)
Derivation:
grasping (the act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles))
Context examples
Limitations in observation technologies have kept scientists from grasping a more complete picture of black holes.
(Observing 'black hole symphony' using gravitational wave astronomy, National Science Foundation)
Hans, still grasping the gun, felt sure that the Indian attributed to him the mangled corpses.
(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)
Idealist and romanticist that I was and always had been in spite of my analytical nature, yet I had failed till now in grasping much of the physical characteristics of love.
(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)
“Thankee, thankee, kind sir,” he said, grasping my hand in both of his.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
The participants practiced grasping and moving a handgrip while receiving varying levels of electrical pulses from the devices.
(Spinal cord stimulation helps paralyzed people move hands, NIH)
You use your fingers and thumbs to do everything from grasping objects to playing musical instruments to typing.
(Finger Injuries and Disorders, NIH)
As they worsen, grasping objects can become difficult.
(Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
With the policeman's hail he was immediately his ordinary self, grasping the situation clearly.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
Even the most advanced robots come nowhere near the grasping ability of animals when dealing with objects of varying shapes, sizes and textures.
(Researchers study birds to improve how robots land, National Science Foundation)
The boon I crave is that you will place it in my hands and let me die still grasping it.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
| Learn English with... Proverbs |
"It is less of a problem to be poor, than to be dishonest." (Native American proverb, Anishinabe)
"A mosquito can make the lion's eye bleed." (Arabic proverb)
"If a caged bird isn't singing for love, it's singing in a rage." (Corsican proverb)