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grab·ble

(grăbəl)

intr.v. grab·bled, grab·bling, grab·bles

1. To feel around with the hands; grope.

2. To fall down; sprawl.

3. To catch a fish or try to catch a fish by hand; noodle.

[Probably from Dutch grabbelen, from Middle Dutch, frequentative of grabben, to grab; see GRAB¹.]

grabbler n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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