grabble

1. (intransitive) To search with one's hands and fingers; to attempt to grasp something.Examples: "1614, John Taylor, Water-Worke: or, The Sculler’s Travels, Dedication, in All the Works of John Taylor the Water Poet, London: James Boler, 1630, reprinted for the Spenser Society, 1869, Ile grable for Gudgeons or fish for Flounders in the Rereward of our eminent temporizing Humorists, sharpe Satyrists, or Ænigmaticall Epigramatists."; "[…] when he should come to pay his Reckoning he puts his hands into his Pockets, and keeps a grabling and a fumbling, and shaking, at last tells you he has left his Money at home; when all the company knew at first, he had no Money there, for every man can quickly find his own Money."; "He has only a few Scratches on his Face; which, said she, I suppose he got by grabbling among the Gravel, at the bottom of the Dam, to try to find a Hole in the Ground, to hide himself from the Robbers."Synonyms: fumble, grope, grubble, root, rummage, feel around, fumble, forageintransitive

2. (intransitive, obsolete) To search in a similar way using an implement.Examples: "[…] he proposes to spend the Afternoon at the Out-side of the Rock, in viewing the Sea, and looking for Oysters; so takes in his Hand his long Staff to grabble in Holes […]"intransitiveobsolete

3. (transitive) To touch (someone) with one's hands or fingers, sometimes in a sexual way.Examples: "1719, Thomas d'Urfey, “Willey’s Intreague” in Wit and Mirth: or Pills to Purge Melancholy, London: J. Tonson, 1876 reprint, p. 195, When Nelly tho’ he teiz’d her, And Grabbled her and Squeez’d her, Cry’d, stay a little, I vow and swear I could kill ye, Another touch I can bear ye,"; "I struggle, confused, frightened, which he mistakes for excitement, grabbling my breasts, scrubbing them in circles as he plunges his tongue."; "“Come here, boys, and let your gorgeous auntie grabble her hairy little monkeys!”"Synonyms: feel up, fondle, grope, canoodle, caress, chuckle, coax, cossettransitive

4. (transitive) To pick (something or someone) up hastily, roughly or clumsily.Examples: "[H]e did so stare at the money, that I vows I thought he'd have rin away with it from the counter—so I grabbled it up, and went away."; "He grabbled one of the canteens and, unfastening its cap, swung it down by the cord."; "“When Cave Men carry off little girls,” she said, “do they throw them over their shoulders,—or just grabble them up under their arms?”"Synonyms: grab, seize, snatchtransitive

5. (transitive) To attempt to grab; to grasp at (something).Examples: "The flailing mob of forty-fold took turns at throwing, each trying to lasso the sinking beast as it grabbled the air in blind terror in an attempt to keep its forelegs above the surface."Synonyms: clutch, grip, beclasp, begrasp, begrip, belock, clasp, clenchtransitive

6. (transitive) To pull, lift or dig (something) (out of the ground) by searching with one's hands and fingers.Examples: "1865, W. W. McCarty, “History of Captain W. W. McCarty’s Prison Life, and Southern Prisons,” in History of the 78th Regiment O.V.V.I., Zanesville, OH: Hugh Dunne, p. 302, […] Harry went into the potato patch and grabbled us some sweet potatoes […]"; "Going through the woods, he grabbled acorns from under the snow, thinking to fling them in the hogshead, and find out if the jays would really eat them."; "1910, J. C. Cooper (ed.), Walnut Growing in Oregon, Passenger Department, Portland, OR: Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co., Southern Pacific Company Lines in Oregon, p. 17, One grower had a bed of hybrid black walnuts. The season was late and when the ground was ready for planting many had started to grow. He engaged some boys to grabble out the nuts from the sand beds, urging care, but many of the best were broken and injured."Synonyms: grubtransitive