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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Grape, Graip, v. Also: grap, graipe, graep, greap. [Northern ME. grape, early ME. grapien, O.Nhb. grápiᵹa, W.S. grápian. Cf. Grope v.]

1. tr. To touch with the hands, handle; to examine by touching, feel. Also absol. a1400 Leg. S. xliii. 203.
Ydolis … ar dume & defe, but smelling, Na nocht ma grape na ȝet se a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 10.
Haill, silk to graipe, to sicht rycht lycht in dern c1500-c1512 Dunb. liv. 7.
Scho is … lyk a gangarall unto graip [M. graep] 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. i. 744.
Oft I wald my hand behald … and oft my visage graip 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2049 (B).
My pardons and my prevelage Quhilk ȝe sall se & graip 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 334.
Diverse strange thingis wer seine … , whilk I had of the mouth of thame that it was told to, be thame that both hard, saw, and graipit him 1591 Crim. Trials I. 233.
For cuming to Robert Bailȝie sone, quha wes very seik for the tyme, and only graiping him [etc.] 1587-99 Hume 19/74.
The helping hands appointed ar to graip, to feill and tuitche ?1549 Monro W. Isles 22.
The fleis … hes na … kind of hard thing … that may be felt or graipit 1650 Maxwell Mem. I. 352.
When kine wer elfe-shote … [she] confessed that shee had so graiped certaine kine

b. To handle, touch, in an indecent manner. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 136/32.
Consider, ladeis, … quhen ȝe thol ȝou to be twichit, grapit, and schaw ȝou familiar, ȝe are ourcummyne

2. To lay hold of, to grasp; to search for, or make search in. a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 459.
The child can snawil than, and grape The modyr pape c1450-2 Howlat 86.
I will go to that gud, his grace for to grap a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 982.
Quhen ded enterit within the breist of blis, His nobill hert he graipit in his hand 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 166.
I grapit graithly the gyll, Every modywart hyll 1596 Highland P. I. 172.
The deponer … greapit the said letters in his boasome and fand ane great letter amang the rest

b. fig. To search or examine (one's conscience, an argument, etc.). c1460 Regim. Princ. 283 (M).
I pray thé specialie Thow wald remorde and graip thy conscience 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 113.
Bot first, I pray you, grape the mater cleyn c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 188.
As man him self, grapand his awin conscience 1596 Dalr. I. 296/8.
Fenela … grapet the kingis mynd and vnderstude

c. fig. To grasp, apprehend (mentally). c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 639.
That eurye man may graip, and als considder It is Gods wourd and pure religioun That ȝe obserue 1584 in Calderwood IV. 76.
Our bishops … whose infameis are seene and graipped of you all

3. intr. To put out the hand in order to feel or to find something. 1456 Hay II. 154/1.
Gif thou seis that he grape gredily to thy gudis 1513 Doug. iii. x. 6.
A monstre horribyll, … Wanting hys syght, and gan to stab and graip With hys burdon c1520-c1535 Nisbet III. 326/30.
Anne vnbelewing persounn … graipping [Tynd. gropinge] after faith 1535 Stewart 61094.
Ane ladie … to the dur did clois, … And graipit syne and fand the bar awa a1568 Bann. MS. 143 b/11.
He put his hand in at hir spair, And graipit dounwart, ȝe wait quhair 1567 G. Ball. 239.
Graip or thow slyde, and keip furth the hie way 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 139.
The said Elspeth, going in ȝour seller, quhilk was dungeon mirk, and putting furth hir hand to greap about hir [etc.]