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Glite Dictionary
griping

griping

3 9.9
A sudden, strong pain in the belly, often in babies
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : cólico
  • The doctor said the baby was experiencing griping pain in his stomach after the feeding.

Examples

  • After eating too many sweets, the child complained of griping in his belly.

  • The entire class is busy planting seeds and planning the business, with only minimal griping about the cold walk to and from the greenhouse.

    Academic text (1994)

  • In fairness to Mr. Romney, some of this griping is coming from conservative quarters that weren't thrilled with him in the first place.

    Blog text (19)

  • The mother noticed her infant was in distress, suffering from griping pains during the night.

Synonyms

colic
vsgriping
  • Specialized
14 6.0

A strong pain in the belly that comes and goes, often in babies

is the dated term for sudden severe infant abdominal pain rather than fluctuating
sharp pain
vsgriping
10 3.3

A sudden strong feeling of hurt in one small part of the body

is specific to sudden infant belly pain rather than general localized pain
abdominal discomfort
vsgriping
1 4.4

A pain or uncomfortable feeling in the stomach area

means sudden severe infant belly pain rather than mild general unease
gripes
vsgriping
  • Archaic
9.7

Strong stomach pain in babies that feels like cramps

is the dated term for the same sudden infant abdominal pain
intestinal colic
vsgriping
  • Specialized
7.0

A strong belly pain in babies caused by the intestines squeezing

refers to the same pain without naming a specific gut cause

How Painful

colic
  • Specialized
14 6.0
griping
  • Archaic
3 9.9
twinge
17 4.9
ache
92 1.3

Surface Forms

griping singular
gripings plural

Morphology

griping = gripe (opaque) = gripe + ing

Although formally derived from 'gripe' + '-ing', the noun meaning 'severe abdominal pain' is archaic and not derivable from the common modern sense 'to complain'.

Etymology

Griping comes from the same root as grip, which means 'to hold' or 'to seize'. It was used to mean a sudden, tight pain in the belly—like something 'gripping' your stomach—so doctors used it for severe abdominal pain in children.