grabble

• POS: Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: grab=ble

CIDE DICTIONARY

grabble, v. i. [Freq. of grab; cf. D. grabbelen.].

•  To grope; to feel with the hands.  [1913 Webster]

  "He puts his hands into his pockets, and keeps a grabbling and fumbling."  [1913 Webster]
•  To lie prostrate on the belly; to sprawl on the ground; to grovel.  Ainsworth.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

grabble, v.intr.
1 grope about, feel for something.
2 (often foll. by for) sprawl on all fours, scramble (for something).

Etymology

Du. & LG grabbeln scramble for a thing (as GRAB)

THESAURUS

grabble

beat about, bring in, crop, crop herbs, cut, dig, feel, feel around, feel for, fumble, gather, gather in, glean, grope, grope for, harvest, hay, mow, nut, pick, pluck, poke around, pry around, reap, reap and carry, scrabble

ROGET THESAURUS

grabble

Touch

VB touch, feel, handle, finger, thumb, paw, fumble, grope, grabble, twiddle, tweedle, pass the fingers over, run the fingers over, manipulate, wield, throw out a feeler.