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Synonyms

grinder

American  
[grahyn-der] / ˈgraɪn dər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that grinds.

  2. a kitchen device or appliance for grinding food.

  3. a sharpener of tools.

  4. a molar tooth.

  5. Chiefly New England and Inland North. hero sandwich.

  6. Informal. grinders, the teeth.

grinder British  
/ ˈɡraɪndə /

noun

  1. a person who grinds, esp one who grinds cutting tools

  2. a machine for grinding

  3. a molar tooth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Regionalisms

See hero sandwich.

Etymology

Origin of grinder

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; grind + -er 1

Vocabulary lists containing grinder

Mechanical Engineering

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Engineering - High School

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“I had to put the table upside down and use a chisel and grinder to remove as much material as I could. It took us three tries to get the table right.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

“Sopranos” creator David Chase ran all those rules through the meat grinder at Satriale’s, and in the process made the most imitated show since “I Love Lucy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Quality brew, especially when used with their bean grinder, for a fresh cup of joe that hits exactly how you need it without the fussing.

From Salon • Nov. 20, 2025

Mr De Wet also said Mr Olivier chopped up the hunting rifles with an angle grinder and burnt the wooden parts of the gun.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025

A man and a woman carried over a huge chainsaw, followed by the stump grinder.

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.