groping

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of grope

plural gropings

1. An act of groping; a grope.

   Sexual harassment may include rape or attempted rape; it may include gropings, touching up and suggestive remarks.

   1983, Elizabeth Wilson, What is to be done about violence against women? (part 3, page 177)

   2 more examples

   The theory of the civilized Greek of Sicily may be set beside the similar theory of the savage Arunta of Central Australia. Both represent gropings of the human mind in the dark abysses of the past; both were in a measure grotesque anticipations of the modern theory of evolution.

   1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 44

   But we now look at the Met's westerly gropings. These began from the new, south-westerly pointing annexe at Paddington - Paddington (Praed Street). From there the Met marched on Bayswater (now Queensway), Notting Hill Gate, High Street Kensington and Gloucester Road before effecting its rendezvous with the District at South Kensington in December 1868.

   2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 57