grok (grk)
tr.v. Slang grok·ked, grok·king, groks
To understand profoundly through intuition or empathy.

This term was coined by Mr. Robert Heinlein, in the book Stranger in a Strange Land. It is a profoundly useful term. I don't know why it's not more widely used. Perhaps it's because only die hard sci-fi fans would know what it means. I've only ever heard one person use it in everyday conversation. Mr. Charlie Metzger, in instructing my barbershop choir, told us that in order to sing with conviction, we needed to grok the song. Only a handful of people knew what the hell he was talking about.

The concept of understanding something to the core of one's very soul is a valuable one. What is the difference between understand and grok? Understand is with your mind. Grok is with your soul. If every cell in your body, every spirit in your soul understands something....then you grok it. What do you grok?

How can it be used? Some people like to say that chocolate is better than sex. (How they can say that without ever having had sex, I do not understand). Why not say "I grok eating chocolate." You tell your best friend "I understand." Why not say "I grok." So much more expressive, so much more meaningful. Aren't there many occasions that you find cannot be expressed in words? Well, here you have a word to express many of these occasions. Use it! Nobody will understand you at first. But as you use it more and more, people will understand, and use it too. Grok it?

So go forth and multiply the word grok!

Please respond if you knew what grok meant before reading this. I would like to get an idea of how many people are familiar with this term out there. Thanks so much.