grovel

Verb

WordNet 3.0

Verb (1)

show submission or fearSynonyms: fawn crawl creep cringe cower

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Grovel \Grov"el\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Groveledor Grovelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Groveling or Grovelling.] [From OE. grovelinge, grufelinge, adv., on the face, prone, which was misunderstood as a p. pr.; cf. OE. gruf, groff, in the same sense; of Scand. origin, cf. Icel. gr[=u]fa, in [=a] gr[=u]fu on the face, prone, gr[=u]fa to grovel.]

1.To creep on the earth, or with the face to the ground; to lie prone, or move uneasily with the body prostrate on the earth; to lie flat on one's belly, expressive of abjectness; to crawl. [1913 Webster]

To creep and grovel on the ground.— Dryden.[1913 Webster]

2.To tend toward, or delight in, what is sensual or base; to be low, abject, or mean. [1913 Webster]

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

grovel

1.To work interminably and without apparent progress. Often used transitively with "over" or "through". "The file scavenger has been groveling through the /usr directories for 10 minutes now." Compare grind and crunch. Emphatic form: "grovel obscenely".

2.To examine minutely or in complete detail. "The compiler grovels over the entire source program before beginning to translate it." "I grovelled through all the documentation, but I still couldn't find the command I wanted." [Jargon File]

The Jargon File

grovel vi.

1.To work interminably and without apparent progress. Often used transitively with ‘over’ or ‘through’. “The file scavenger has been groveling through the /usr directories for 10 minutes now.” Compare grind and crunch. Emphatic form: grovel obscenely.

2.To examine minutely or in complete detail. “The compiler grovels over the entire source program before beginning to translate it.” “I grovelled through all the documentation, but I still couldn't find the command I wanted.”