Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An African charm, fetish, or amulet.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun climbing A belay device that incorporates an automatic breaking system.
  • noun Alternative spelling of gris-gris.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, of West African origin; akin to Balanta (Niger-Congo language of Guinea-Bissau and Senegal) grigri, amulet.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From a trademark of French company Petzl, probably related to French grimper, "climb".

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

See gris-gris

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Examples

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  • Lock for rope in climbing.

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    November 27, 2008