grovel
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Old Norse á grufu (“on one's belly”) ( > Old Norse grúfa (“to grovel”)).
[edit] Pronunciation
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- Rhymes: -ɒvəl
[edit] Verb
grovel (third-person singular simple present grovels, present participle grovelling or groveling, simple past and past participle grovelled or groveled)
- To be prone on the ground.
- To crawl
- To abase oneself before another person.
- To be nice to someone or apologize in the hope of securing something.
- To take pleasure in mundane activities.
[edit] Usage notes
- The spellings grovelling and grovelled are more common in the UK. Groveling and groveled are more common in the US.
[edit] Translations
to be prone on the ground
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to abase oneself
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to be nice in the hope of securing something
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to take pleasure in mundane thing
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