grovel

grovel
intransitive verb,
(Brit.) -ll-
1) sich auf die Knie werfen

be grovelling on the floor — auf dem Fußboden kriechen

2) (fig.): (be subservient) katzbuckeln (abwertend)
* * *
['ɡrovl]
past tense, past participle - grovelled; verb
(to make oneself (too) humble: He grovelled before his leader.) kriechen
* * *
grov·el
<BRIT -ll- or AM usu -l->
[ˈgrɒvəl, AM ˈgrɑ:v-]
vi
1. (behave obsequiously)
to \grovel [before sb] [vor jdm] zu Kreuze kriechen, katzbuckeln
they wrote a \grovelling letter of apology sie schrieben einen unterwürfigen Entschuldigungsbrief
the dog \grovelled before his master der Hund winselte vor seinem Herrn
2. (crawl) kriechen
I \grovelled under the sofa ich kroch unters Sofa
to \grovel about in the dirt im Schmutz [herum]wühlen
to \grovel on one's knees [or on all fours] auf [den] Knien rutschen, auf allen Vieren kriechen
* * *
['grɒvl]
vi
kriechen

to grovel at sb's feet — vor jdm kriechen; (dog) sich um jdn herumdrücken

to grovel to or before sb (fig) — vor jdm kriechen; (in apology) vor jdm zu Kreuze kriechen

* * *
grovel [ˈɡrɒvl; ˈɡrʌvl; US ˈɡrɑvəl] v/i prät und pperf -eled, besonders Br -elled
1. am Boden kriechen:
grovel at sb’s feet
a) sich um jemanden herumdrücken (Hund),
b) auch grovel before (oder to) sb fig vor jemandem kriechen, vor jemandem zu Kreuze kriechen
2. schwelgen (in in dat):
grovel in pleasure;
grovel in selfpity sich in Selbstmitleid ergehen;
grovel in vice dem Laster frönen
* * *
intransitive verb,
(Brit.) -ll-
1) sich auf die Knie werfen

be grovelling on the floor — auf dem Fußboden kriechen

2) (fig.): (be subservient) katzbuckeln (abwertend)
* * *
v.
kriechen v.
(§ p.,pp.: kroch, ist gekrochen)

English-german dictionary. 2013.

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  • grovel — (v.) 1590s, Shakespearian back formation of groveling (M.E.), regarded as a prp. but really an adverb, from O.N. grufe prone + obsolete adverbial suffix ling (which survives also as the long in HEADLONG (Cf. headlong), SIDELONG (Cf. sidelong));… …   Etymology dictionary

  • grovel — *wallow, welter Analogous words: *fawn, cringe, cower, toady, truckle: crawl, *creep: *abase, demean, humble Contrasted words: soar, mount, ascend, *rise: aspire (see AIM) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • grovel — meaning ‘to behave obsequiously’, has inflected forms grovelled, grovelling, and in AmE also groveled, groveling …   Modern English usage

  • grovel — [v] abase, demean oneself apple polish*, beg, beg for mercy, beseech, blandish, bootlick*, bow and scrape*, brown nose*, butter up*, cater to, court, cower, crawl, creep, cringe, crouch, eat crow*, eat dirt*, eat humble pie*, fall all over*,… …   New thesaurus

  • grovel — ► VERB (grovelled, grovelling; US groveled, groveling) 1) crouch or crawl abjectly on the ground. 2) act obsequiously to obtain forgiveness or favour. DERIVATIVES groveller noun. ORIGIN …   English terms dictionary

  • grovel — [gräv′əl, gruv′əl] vi. groveled or grovelled, groveling or grovelling [back form. (first found in Shakespeare) < grovelling, down on one s face (assumed to be prp.) < ME grufelinge < gruf, for o grufe, on the face (< ON ā grūfu) +… …   English World dictionary

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  • grovel — grov|el [ˈgrɔvəl US ˈgra: , ˈgrʌ ] v past tense and past participle grovelled present participle grovelling BrE past tense and past participle groveled present participle groveling AmE [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: groveling lying face downward (16… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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