grasp

See also: GRASP

§English

Wikipedia

§Etymology

Originally "to feel around", possibly metathesis of Old English græpsan "to touch, feel," from Proto-Germanic *graipisōną.

§Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɡɹɑːsp/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɡɹæsp/

• audio (US)

  (file)

§Verb

grasp (third-person singular simple present grasps, present participle grasping, simple past and past participle grasped)

1. To grip; to take hold, particularly with the hand.
2. ​To understand.

   I have never been able to grasp the concept of infinity.

§Derived terms

• grasp the nettle

§Translations

to grip

• Armenian: կառչել (kaṙčʿel)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 把握 (zh) (bǎwò), 握 (zh) (wò), 抓住 (zh) (zhuāzhù), 抓 (zh) (zhuā)

• Czech: stisknout, uchopit
• Danish: gribe
• Dutch: grijpen (nl), vastpakken (nl)
• Finnish: tarttua (fi), puristaa (fi)
• French: saisir (fr), agripper (fr)
• German: greifen (de), erfassen (de)
• Italian: afferrare (it), avvinghiare (it), avvinghiarsi, agguantare (it)
• Japanese: 掴む (ja) (つかむ, tsukamu)

• Jèrriais: gaffer
• Latin: teneo (la), sumo (la)
• Maori: mamau
• Polish: trzymać (pl), chwytać (pl)
• Portuguese: agarrar (pt)
• Russian: хватать (ru) impf (xvatátʹ), схватывать (ru) impf (sxvátyvatʹ), схватить (ru) pf (sxvatítʹ)
• Spanish: agarrar (es), asir (es)
• Swedish: fatta (sv), gripa (sv), greppa (sv)
• Telugu: పట్టుకొను (te) (paṭṭukonu)
• Turkish: kavramak (tr)
• Volapük: gleipön (vo)

to understand

• Catalan: comprendre (ca)
• Czech: pochopit (cs)
• Danish: begribe
• Dutch: begrijpen (nl), snappen (nl)
• Finnish: tajuta (fi), käsittää (fi)
• French: comprendre (fr), saisir (fr)
• German: begreifen (de), verstehen (de), erfassen (de)
• Hungarian: felfog (hu), átérez (hu)
• Italian: afferrare (it), capire (it), comprendere (it)

• Latin: teneo (la)
• Norwegian: begripe (no)
• Polish: rozumieć (pl), pojmować (pl)
• Portuguese: entender (pt), compreender (pt)
• Russian: понимать (ru) impf (ponimátʹ), понять (ru) pf (ponjátʹ), схватить (ru) pf (sxvatítʹ)
• Spanish: comprender (es)
• Swedish: begripa (sv), fatta (sv)
• Telugu: గ్రహించు (te) (grahiṃcu), ఆకళింపు చేసుకొను (ākaḷiṃpu cēsukonu)
• Turkish: kavramak (tr)

§Noun

grasp (plural grasps)

1. Grip.
   • 1914, Louis Joseph Vance, Nobody, chapter III:

     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.

2. ​Understanding.
3. That which is accessible; that which is within one's reach or ability.

   The goal is within my grasp.

§Translations

grip

• Arabic: قبضة f (qabDa)
• Czech: uchopení, sevření
• Dutch: grip (nl) m
• Finnish: ote (fi)
• German: Griff (de) m
• Hebrew: לפיתה f

• Italian: presa (it) f, stretta (it) f
• Polish: uchwyt (pl) m
• Scottish Gaelic: glacadh m
• Spanish: asimiento m
• Swedish: grepp (sv)

understanding

• Czech: porozumění
• Dutch: begrip (nl) n
• Finnish: käsitys (fi), ymmärrys (fi), taju
• German: Verständnis (de) n
• Hebrew: תפיסה f, הבנה (he) f

• Italian: comprensione (it) f, padronanza (it) f
• Polish: rozumienie (pl), zrozumienie (pl), pojęcie (pl)
• Portuguese: compreensão (pt) f
• Spanish: comprensión (es) f
• Swedish: begrepp (sv), förståelse (sv) c

that which is accessible

• Finnish: käsillä, käsissä (idiomatic)
• Italian: a portata di mano (within one's grasp)

• Portuguese: alcance (pt) m
• Swedish: räckhåll (sv) n, grepp (sv) n