v., ground (ground), grind·ing, grinds. v.tr.
- To crush, pulverize, or reduce to powder by friction, especially by rubbing between two hard surfaces: grind wheat into flour.
- To shape, sharpen, or refine with friction: grind a lens.
- To rub (two surfaces) together harshly; gnash: grind the teeth.
- To bear down on harshly; crush.
- To oppress or weaken gradually: "Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the law" (Oliver Goldsmith).
- To operate by turning a crank: ground a hurdy-gurdy.
- To produce or process by turning a crank: grinding a pound of beef.
- To produce mechanically or without inspiration: The factory grinds out a uniform product.
- To instill or teach by persistent repetition: ground the truth into their heads.
- To perform the operation of grinding something.
- To become crushed, pulverized, or powdered by friction.
- To move with noisy friction; grate: a train grinding along rusty rails.
- Informal. To devote oneself to study or work: grinding for a test; grinding away at housework.
- Slang. To rotate the pelvis erotically, as in the manner of a stripteaser.
- The act of grinding.
- A crunching or grinding noise.
- A specific grade or degree of pulverization, as of coffee beans: drip grind.
- Informal. A laborious task, routine, or study: the daily grind.
- Informal. A student who works or studies excessively.
- Slang. An erotic rotation of the pelvis.
[Middle English grinden, from Old English grindan.]
grindingly grind'ing·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
