1. To work interminably and without apparent progress. Often
used transitively with "over" or "through". "The file
scavenger has been groveling through the /usr directories for
form: "grovel obscenely".
2. To examine minutely or in complete detail. "The compiler
grovels over the entire source program before beginning to
translate it." "I grovelled through all the documentation,
but I still couldn't find the command I wanted."