grapinel 
An obsolete form 
of f/rapncl. 
Naut., same as grap- 
grapinelt, 
Chaucer. 
grapline (grap'lin), . 
net, 3. 
grapnallt, . See grapnel. 
grapnel (grap'nel), n. [Formerly also yrap- 
nall; < ME. grapcnel, grapinel, < OF. "grapincl, 
"grappinel, assumed dim. of grapiti, grappin, F. 
grappin, a grapnel (OF. also grappil, a grapnel, 
grapple), dim. of iirappc, a hook, a cluster of 
grapes: see grape'-.'] 1. A mechanical device 
grasp 
separate zp6ids protected by little horny cups, 
all springing from a common coenosarc, but 
differing in that 
they were not 
fixed to any sol- 
id object, but 
were perm:i- 
nently 
Block of Stone containing Graptolites. 
consisting essentially of one or more hooks 
or clamps, used for 
grasping or holding 
something; 
ie; agrai 
grap- 
gle; a grappling-iron, 
pecifically 2. A 
grappling-iron, used 
to seize and hold one 
ship to another in en- 
gagements prepara- 
tory to boarding. Al- 
so called grappling. 
Grapnel, def. 3. 
3. 
In goth the arapenfl, so ful of crokes, 
Amonge the ropes, and the sheryng hokeg. 
Chaucer, Good Women, 1. 640. 
A boat's anchor having from three to six 
'shank* atde8 M ** "* 
2602 
Making use only of their daggers, grappling closely 
man to man, till both rolled promiscuously together down 
the steep sides of the ravine. 
Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., i. 13. 
To grapple with, to contend with in close contest, as in 
wrestling ; struggle with ; seize or attack boldly. 
She rubb'd her eyes ; but found their strength too weak 
To grapple with that stupor. J. Beaunwnt, Psyche, ii. 107. 
Don Alonso, whose corselet had become unlaced in the 
previous struggle, having received a severe wound in the 
breast, followed by another on the head, grappled closely 
with his adversary, and they came rolling on the ground 
together. Preseatt, Ferd. and Isa., ii. 7. 
Through them all we perceive the movement of an in- 
tellect strong enough to grapple u-ith any subject. 
R hippie, Ess. and Rev., I. 186. 
grapplementt (grap'1-ment), n. [< grapple + 
-n/riit.] A grappling; a" grasp; a grip. 
And catching hold of him, as downe he lent, 
Him backeward overthrew, and downe him stayd 
With their rude handes and gryesly yraplement. 
Spenser, F. Q., II. xi. 29. 
grapple-plant (grap'l-plant), n. The Harpa- Graptolites (grap-tol'i-tez), n. [NL., a fora 
gophytum (or Vncaria) procumbens, a procum- of Graptolithus, accom. to term, -ites, E. -ite'*.\ 
bent herb of South Africa of the order Peda- Same as Graptolithus. 
liaccte, which bears a curious seed-vessel with graptolith (grap'to-lith), n. Same as graptolite. 
long, branching, claw-like appendages termi- graptolithic (grap-to-lith'ik), o. Same as 
nating in very sharp hooks. Also called grap- graptolitic. 
nel-plant. " *-" 
" B-shot (grap'1-shot), n. 
After this a canoe was left fixed to a grapnel in the mid- 
dle of the harbour. Anton, Voyage Round the World, ii. 13. 
A shot attached 
used on the 
sea-coast in 
the life-sav- 
4. A kind of heavy tongs used for hauling 
logs, stones, etc. E. H. Knight. 5. A device 
for grasping or taking hold of something not 
otherwise manageable or accessible, as for grip- 
ping and recovering tools in a bored well, for 
raising the core left by a diamond drill, for seiz- 
ing a submarine telegraph-cable which needs 
repairs, etc. 
grapnel-plant (grap 'nel-plant), n. Same as grappling 
grapple-plant. (gp 'ling), 
- . [Verbal 
~ - * 
ile (of a ship), equiv. to 
i.j i. .mai 
by which 
anything is 
seized and 
held ; a grap- 
Ambition outsearcheth to glorie the greece, 
The stair to estate, the graple of grace. 3rage. 
Mir. for Mags., p. 84. 
The creeping ivy, to prevent his fall, 
CHngs with its fibrous grapples to the wall. 
Blackmore, Creation, ii. 
2. A clasping-hook for grasping a beam, used in 
suspending the blocks or hoisting apparatus of 
a hay-fork. 3. Large tongs with sharp points 
used for various purposes, as for lifting blocks 
\f i M^/y/n/-jy(M it i, 
grapple (grap'l), . [Early mod. E. also graple; 
< OF. grappil, a grapple (of a ship), equiv. to 
grappin (> dim. "grappinel, > E. grapnel, q. v.), 
dim. of grappe, a hook, a cluster of grapes: 
see grape 1 and grapple, v.] 1. A hook or an 
iron instrument by which one thing, as a ship, 
fastens on another ; a grapnel. 
ing service. 
It Is fired across 
a ship, and is 
caught in the 
rigging by flukes 
which spread 
out when the 
cable is pulled. 
About mid- 
night, we run 
Lyle-Emery Grapple-shot, open and closed. 
under the land, and came to a grappling, where we took 
such rest as our situation would admit. 
Cook, Voyages, I. ii. 3. 
3. A lernaean parasite of the menhaden: so 
called from having the shape of a grappling- 
iron. [Maryland, U. S.] 
o. A. spring nsn-nooK. o. L< grapple, v. 
seizing or gripping ; especially, a close holi 
A 
free. 
Grapto'lites usual- 
ly appear as im- 
pressions on hard 
shales of the Silurian strata, presenting the appearance of 
fossil pens, whence the name. Also graptolith. 
Some singular organisms, termed Graptolitrx, which 
abound in the Silurian rocks, may possibly be Hydrozoa, 
though they present points of resemblance with the 
Polyzoa. . . . The theciform projections of the Graptolite 
stem may correspond with the nematophores of Sertnla- 
rians. Huxley, Anat. Invert., p. 137. 
Double or twin graptolites. See Graptolithidce. 
II. a. Same as graptolitie: as, a graptolite 
schist. 
form 
Graptolithidae (grap-to-lith'i-de), n. pi. [NL., 
< Graptolithus + -t'fte.] The typical family of 
graptolites, referred to the Hydropolypina;. 
Both the endoskeleton and exoskeleton are chitinous, the 
former being rod-shaped. The colonies are free-swim- 
ming. The family is probably extinct, and occurs from 
the Cambrian to the lower Devonian. In some forms the 
cellules are uniserial, on only one side of a stem coiled 
like a watch-spring ; others have biserial cellules, and are 
known as double graptolites or twin graptolites. The gen- 
era are numerous. Also Graptolitida. See cut under 
graptolite. 
Graptolithina (grap*to-li-thl'na), n. pi. [NL., 
< Graptolithus + -ina.] The graptolites as 
a superfamily of Hydrozoa : same as Ehabdo- 
phora. The position of the group varies: it is ma.le a sub- 
class of Hydrozoa by Nicholson, a suborder of Hydroida 
by Allman, an order of gymnolwmatous Polyzoa by Cams, 
an order of Ilydrouta by Von Hayek, and 'a pendant to 
Alcyonaria by Schmarda. 
Graptolithus (grap-tpl'i-thus), n. [NL., < Gr. 
ypanrof, marked, written, verbal adj. of ypa- 
fciv, write, + A/floc, stone: see graphic.] If. A 
Linnean genus of the class Fossilia and order 
Petriflcata, defined as a pictured petrifaction, 
and made to cover a variety of objects, as Flor- 
entine marble, moss-agate, certain worms, as 
Serpula, etc. 2. A genus of Graptolithida!, 
giving name to the family, 
graptolitic (grap-to-lit'ik), a. [< graptolite + 
-tc.J Of or belonging to graptolites ; produced 
by graptolites; containing graptolites: as, 
graptolitic markings ; graptolitic slate. Also 
graptolite, graptolithic. 
An in- Graptplitidse (grap-to-lit'i-de), n. pi. Same as 
-y 1 .] Corn- 
as 
-line (grap'ling-1.), n. In.,,, same 
Oys- 
Fresh from his fall, and fiercer grapple join'd. grappling-tongS (grap'ling-t6ngz), n. pi. 
Milton, P. R., iv. 667. ter-tongs. 
Come, one good grapple, I with all the world ! 
Broiming, Ring and Book, II. 247. 
Strangers who have a large common ground of reading 
will, for this reason, come the sooner to the grapple of 
genuine converse. R. L. Stevenson, Talk and Talkers, i. 
grapple (grap'l), v.; pret. and pp. grappled, 
ppr. grappling. [Early mod. E. also graple, 
grapel; < grapple, n. , q. v. Po 
(grap'si-de), n. pi. [NL., < Grapsus 
f- -idm.] A family of brachyurous decapod 
crustaceans, typified by the genus Grapsus, and 
belonging to the series Ocypodoidea. The cara- 
pace is quadrilateral with the lateral margins straight or 
slightly arcuated, the orbits are moderate, and the postab- 
domen is very wide. The species inhabit sea-shores, and 
run with great rapidity. 
The God we now behold with open eyes ; 
round him lies 
clusters spread 
A herd of spotted panthers round him lies 
forms ; the grapy 
In glaring f 
On his ta 
Popularly associated grapsoid (grap'soid), a. and n. [< Grapsus + 
-rm. .' now , ever > it hft s -oid.] I. a. Of or pertaining to the Grapsoidea 
no connection. The freq. of grabl is grabble, or Grapsidai 
a. v., and grasp is ult. a derivative of grope.] II. n. One of the Grapsoidea. 
I. trans 'To seize or grasp with a grapple; lay Grapsoidea (grap - soi ' de - ii), n. pi. [NL., < 
TQOT hrvlH s\-n itrllh >rnn'U. ..:..! if n i ?y "S f-t " *\A U 
-oidea.] bame as Ocypodoidea. Also 
fast hold on with mechanical appliances or Grapsus + 
with the hands: as, to grapple an antagonist. Grapsoidei. 
The gallies were grapeled to the Centurion in this man- grapsoidian (grap-soi'di-an), a. and 
er : two lay on-one side, and two on another, and the ad- " 
mirall lay full in the sterne. 
The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried 
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel. 
Shak., Hamlet, i. 3. 
used figuratively. 
Must grapple upon evenYeS^more. 
Beau, ana Fl., Maid's Tragedy. 
Let Truth and Falsehood grapple: who ever knew Truth 
put to the worst in free and open encounter? 
Milton, Areopagitica. 
Grapsus + -oid-iaii.] Same' as grapsoid. 
''Bakluvf, Voyage* II ii 168 ra P SUS (grap'sus), , [NL., for "Grap* 
. ,:..,. .,^_ .";, Gr , >'f t f' /' a ., cra / b -] e enus of crabs > typi- 
cal of the family Grapstda;. 
Graptodera (grap-tod'e-ra), n. [NL., < Gr. 
=8yn. To gripe, grasp, catch, clutch, clasp. TH***, marked, written," + Mpos skin.] A 
U. intrans. To fasten on another, or on each 'l em Jf JX saltatonal chrysomehd beetles, or 
other, as ships, by some mechanical means, as flea -peetles. G chalybea is a small steel-blue species 
grappling-irons; seize another, or each other, SestdZlds grape ' ' Wh ' ch '* devour8 the 
in a close grip, as in wrestling; clinch: often graptolite (grap ' to - lit), n. and a. [< NL. 
Graptolites, Graptolithus.] I. n. One of the 
Graptolithida;, Graptolithina, or R habdophora ; 
a specimen or a species of Paleozoic ccelenterate 
organisms, commonly supposed to be hydro- 
zoans, resembling the living sertularians in 
having a horny polypary, and in having the 
>h., ill. 
(gra'so), . A cetacean of the family 
Balatnopteridai, Eschrichtitis robustus, a kind of 
finner-whale. 
grasp (grasp), v. [< ME. graspen, for orig. 
"grapsen = LG. grapsen, grasp, snatch; with 
verb-formative -*, as in cleanse, bless, etc., < ME. 
grapien, grapen, take hold of, touch, grope: 
see grope*, grape^.] I. trans. 1. To seize and 
hold by clasping or embracing with the fingers 
or arms. 
He yrasp'd the mane with both his hands, 
And eke with all his might. 
Cowper, John Gilpin. 
Dropping into his elbow-chair, and grasping its sides so 
firmly that they creaked again. 
Dickent, Nicholas Nickleby. 
His long arms stretch d as to grasp a flyer. 
Tennyson, Aylmer's Field. 
2. To seize upon ; take possession of. 
Kings, by grasping more than they could hold, 
First made their subjects, by oppression, bold. 
Sir J. Denham, Cooper's Hill. 
3. To seize by the intellect ; become thorough- 
ly cognizant of ; comprehend. 
Conception, the act of which concept is the result, ex- 
presses the act of comprehending or yraspinq up into 
unity the various qualities by which an object 'is charac- 
terized. Sir W. Hamilton, Logic, vii. 
We ourselves, indeed, when saying that we ... grasp 
an argument palpably true, still express mental acts by 
words originally used to express bodily acts. 
//. Spencer, Prin. of Sociol., 68. 
