gristly

American  

[gris-lee] / ˈgrɪs li /

adjective

gristlier, gristliest

1. resembling or containing gristle; cartilaginous.

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Other Word Forms

• gristliness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of gristly

A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at gristle, -y ¹

Explanation

Gristly means rubbery or full of cartilage. The hardest part of your trip to rural China might be graciously accepting and attempting to chew the gristly meat your hosts offer you. The Old English word that spawned gristly is gristle, literally meaning "cartilage." When meat in particular is hard to chew, it's gristly. This adjective sounds like grisly (no t), which describes something that is horrifying. Although it can also be horrifying, save gristly to describe that chewy mystery meat you try and choke down to be polite.