grindstone

American  

[grahynd-stohn] / ˈgraɪndˌstoʊn /

noun

1. a rotating solid stone wheel used for sharpening, shaping, etc.

2. a millstone.

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idioms

1. keep / put one's nose to the grindstone, to work, study, or practice hard and steadily or to cause someone to do so.

   If I put my nose to the grindstone, I'll finish the job this week.

grindstone British  

/ ˈɡraɪndˌstəʊn /

noun

1. 1. a machine having a circular block of stone or composite abrasive rotated for sharpening tools or grinding metal

   2. the stone used in this machine

   3. any stone used for sharpening; whetstone

2. another name for millstone

3. to work hard and perseveringly

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grindstone More Idioms  

1. see nose to the grindstone.

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Etymology

Origin of grindstone

1175–1225; Middle English. See grind, stone

Example Sentences

The product of an upper-middle-class family and a so-so college, nose perennially pressed to the window—and to the grindstone—she is a workhorse.

From The Wall Street Journal

If she works hard, keeps her nose to the grindstone, and remains diligent, within a few years she might even find herself making six figures.

From Los Angeles Times

Broken grindstones and animal sacrifices, meanwhile, pointed to a connection with fertility—a common obsession for agricultural societies dependent on the Sun and rain for survival.

From Science Magazine

The average person who “just puts their nose to the grindstone and goes to work, I don’t think that motivates them. I think it scares them and freezes them.”

From Seattle Times

“It’s just about keeping your nose to the grindstone, and when the opportunities find you, seize every moment — every opportunity you get.”

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• assignment
• burden
• business
• duty
• effort
• exercise
• function
• project
• responsibility
• undertaking
• work