• (RP, GA) enPR: grăpʹəl, IPA: /ˈɡɹæpəl/

grapple (grapples, present participle grappling; past and past participle grappled)

1. (transitive) To seize something and hold it firmly.
2. (transitive, figuratively, normally with with) To ponder and intensely evaluate a problem.

   to grapple with one's conscience

3. (transitive) To fasten, as with a grapple; to fix; to join indissolubly.

   • The gallies were grappled to the Centurion.

     c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene iii]:

     Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel.

4. (intransitive) To use a grapple.
5. (intransitive) To wrestle or tussle.

• French: agripper, saisir
• German: packen, ergreifen
• Portuguese: agarrar

• German: auseinandersetzen (reflexive), herumschlagen (reflexive)
• Portuguese: abordar, lidar

• German: ringen, kämpfen
• Portuguese: lutar

grapple

1. A tool with claw#Noun|claws or hook#Noun|hooks which is used to catch#Verb|catch or hold#Verb|hold something.
   1. (nautical) A device consisting of iron claws, attached to the end of a rope, used for grasping and holding an enemy ship prior to boarding; a grappling iron.
   2. (nautical) A grapnel.
2. A close hand-to-hand struggle.
3. (uncountable) The act of grappling.

• French: grappin
• Italian: rampino, raffio
• Russian: ко́шка
• Spanish: arpeo

• French: lutte, combat
• Italian: lotta

• French: abordage
• Italian: presa, stretta
• Portuguese: agarramento
• Russian: хватка

grapple (grapples, present participle grappling; past and past participle grappled)

1. (transitive or intransitive) To climb.