Noun

1. Small stuff that is used for lashing two or more ropes together
2. The act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles)

Verb

1. Take hold of; grab
2. Take or capture by force
3. Take possession of by force, as after an invasion
4. Take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority
5. Seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession
6. Hook by a pull on the line
7. Affect
8. Capture the attention or imagination of