Groke

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To observe someone or something intently and steadily, often waiting for a chance ; to resent giving or allowing something to another person
2. Keeping a close, watchful eye on a person or thing, especially while waiting ; feeling unwilling to grant something to someone else
3. Looking on attentively for an opportunity, typically in a Scots dialect usage ; to be reluctant and resentful about parting with or sharing something

Etymology: "Groke" is a Scots word, and English took it up from there, though its deeper origin is unknown. In Scots, "groak" or "growk" was a verb meaning to watch closely and wait for something to happen, especially a person waiting for a rival to eat or leave so they could take a share of the food. That sense of patient, hungry watching is the heart of the word. The English form appears as a slang term, and the record of it is drawn from Jonathon Green's dictionary of slang, a work of ongoing compilation. The word has stayed close to its Scots roots, carrying the idea of a silent, expectant gaze rather than a loud demand.

Synonyms: watch, lurk, spy