grapnel
/ˈɡɹæpnəl/noun, verb
grapnel is spelled G-R-A-P-N-E-L: 7 letters. It appears about once in every 48 million words in written English, the 214,628th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, grapnel means “A small anchor, having more than two flukes, used for anchoring a small vessel” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of grapnel is grapnels.
How many letters and syllables are in grapnel?
| Letters | 7: G-R-A-P-N-E-L |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 48 million words; the 214,628th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is grapnel?
Grapnel appears about once in every 48 million words in written English, the 214,628th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce grapnel?
- /ˈɡɹæpnəl/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-grapnel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of grapnel
- grapnels plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- grapneling US, participle, present
- grapnelling UK, participle, present
- grapneled US, participle, past
- grapnelled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does grapnel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A small anchor, having more than two flukes, used for anchoring a small vessel.
- 2
A device with a multiple hook at one end and attached to a rope, which is thrown or hooked over a firm mooring to secure an object attached to the other end of the rope.
- 3
A grappling iron.
verb
- 1
To connect (ships) with a grapnel.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does grapnel come from?
From Middle English grapnel, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French grapil, grapin. Compare modern French grappin.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).