1. [n]  the act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat; "they had a fierce wrestle"; "we watched his grappling and wrestling with the bully"
2. [n]  a dredging bucket with hinges like the shell of a clam
3. [n]  a tool consisting of several hooks for grasping and holding; often thrown with a rope
4. [v]  to grip or seize, as in a wrestling match; "the two men grappled with each other for several minutes"
5. [v]  come to terms or deal successfully with; "We got by on just a gallon of gas"; "They made do on half a loaf of bread every day"

1. \Grap"ple\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Grappled}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Grappling}.] [F. grappiller, OF. graypil the grapple of a
   ship, fr. graper to pluck, prop., to seize, clutch; of German
   origin. See {Grape}.]
   1. To seize; to lay fast hold of; to attack at close
      quarters: as, to grapple an antagonist.
   2. To fasten, as with a grapple; to fix; to join
      indissolubly.
            The gallies were grappled to the Centurion.
                                                  --Hakluyt.
            Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel.
                                                  --Shak.
   

2. \Grap"ple\, v. i.
   To use a grapple; to contend in close fight; to attach one's
   self as if by a grapple, as in wrestling; to close; to seize
   one another.
   {To grapple with}, to enter into contest with, resolutely and
      courageously.
            And in my standard bear the arms of York, To grapple
            with the house of Lancaster.          --Shak.
   

3. \Grap"ple\, n. [See Grapple, v. t., and cf. Crapple.]
   1. A seizing or seizure; close hug in contest; the wrestler's
      hold. --Milton.
   2.
      (a) An instrument, usually with hinged claws, for seizing
          and holding fast to an object; a grab.
      (b) (Naut.) A grappling iron.
                The iron hooks and grapples keen. --Spenser.
   {Grapple plant} (Bot.), a South African herb ({Herpagophytum
      leptocarpum}) having the woody fruits armed with long
      hooked or barbed thorns by which they adhere to cattle,
      causing intense annoyance.
   {Grapple shot} (Life-saving Service), a projectile, to which
      are attached hinged claws to catch in a ship's rigging or
      to hold in the ground; -- called also {anchor shot}.
   

GRAPh Processing LanguagE. 1968.

["A Directed Graph Representation for Computer Simulation of Belief Systems", L.G. Tesler et al, Math Biosciences 2:19-40 (1968)].