grit

American  

[grit] / grɪt /

noun

1. abrasive particles or granules, as of sand or other small, coarse impurities found in the air, food, water, etc.

2. firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck.

   She has a reputation for grit and common sense.

   Synonyms:

   courage, fortitude, resolution

3. a coarse-grained siliceous rock, usually with sharp, angular grains.

4. British. gravel.

5. sand or other fine grainy particles eaten by fowl to aid in digestion.

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verb (used with object)

gritted, gritting

1. to cause to grind or grate together.

verb (used without object)

gritted, gritting

1. to make a scratchy or slightly grating sound, as of sand being walked on; grate.

idioms

1. grit one's teeth, to show tenseness, anger, or determination by or as if by clamping or grinding the teeth together.

grit ¹ British  

/ ɡrɪt /

noun

1. small hard particles of sand, earth, stone, etc

2. Also called: gritstone.  any coarse sandstone that can be used as a grindstone or millstone

3. the texture or grain of stone

4. indomitable courage, toughness, or resolution

5. engineering an arbitrary measure of the size of abrasive particles used in a grinding wheel or other abrasive process

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verb

1. to clench or grind together (two objects, esp the teeth)

2. to cover (a surface, such as icy roads) with grit

Grit ² British  

/ ɡrɪt /

noun

1. an informal word for Liberal

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Other Word Forms

• gritless adjective
• gritter noun

Etymology

Origin of grit

First recorded before 1000; Middle English gret, griet, grit, Old English grēot; cognate with German Griess, Old Norse grjōt “pebble, boulder”; grits

Example Sentences

He continued, the words forced through gritted teeth, “Each soul is drawn to the world where they will be most comfortable. The four realms are Peace, Pleasure, Progress, and Pain.”

From Literature

But people close to Guthrie believe her grit and deep religious faith will provide her with the strength to move forward.

From Los Angeles Times

They brought flair, grit, and feet that seemed magnetized to the ball as they starred for clubs such as Ajax and Barcelona, AC Milan and Juventus.

From The Wall Street Journal

“But we never did. They were tough and had a resilience and a grit to them that I was really proud to coach.”

From Los Angeles Times

As Ellen Ripley, Sigourney Weaver meets the threat with grit and nerve in a situation where there is nowhere to go and no help coming, a performance that helped define the modern action heroine.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• daring
• fortitude
• guts
• moxie
• perseverance
• spirit
• spunk
• tenacity
• toughness