gripe (grīp)

v., griped, grip·ing, gripes.

v.intr.

1. Informal. To complain naggingly or petulantly; grumble.
2. To have sharp pains in the bowels.

v.tr.

1. Informal. To irritate; annoy: Her petty complaints really gripe me.
2. To cause sharp pain in the bowels of.
3. To grasp; seize.
4. To oppress or afflict.

n.

1. Informal. A complaint.
2. gripes Sharp, spasmodic pains in the bowels.
3. A firm hold; a grasp.
4. A grip; a handle.

[Middle English gripen, to seize, from Old English grīpan.]

griper grip'er n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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