grapple
verb
[ ˈɡrap(ə)l ]
• engage in a close fight or struggle without weapons; wrestle.
• "passers-by grappled with the man after the knife attack"
Similar:
wrestle,
struggle,
tussle,
brawl,
fight,
scuffle,
clash,
combat,
battle,
close,
engage,
• seize or hold with a grappling hook.
grapple
noun
• an act of grappling.
• an instrument for seizing hold of something; a grappling hook.
Origin:
Middle English (as a noun denoting a grappling hook): from Old French grapil, from Provençal, diminutive of grapa ‘hook’, of Germanic origin; related to grape. The verb dates from the mid 16th century.
