gruel

American  

[groo-uhl] / ˈgru əl /

noun

1. a light, usually thin, cooked cereal made by boiling meal, especially oatmeal, in water or milk.

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gruel British  

/ ˈɡruːəl /

noun

1. a drink or thin porridge, made by boiling meal, esp oatmeal, in water or milk

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Etymology

Origin of gruel

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French, Old French, perhaps via an intermediary such as Medieval Latin grūtellum (unrecorded), from grūtum “flour, meal” (from a Germanic source akin to German Grütze “ground cereal grains”; see grits, grout) + -ellum, diminutive suffix

Compare meaning

How does gruel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gruel vs. porridge

Explanation

Gruel is a truly unpleasant food — weak and runny, consisting of oatmeal or cornmeal boiled in milk or water. It's the kind of "slop" prisoners and other inmates of institutions were historically forced to eat. Gruel was made most famous by Dickens's Oliver Twist, the little orphan boy in the workhouse, who was so hungry he even asked for seconds of it: "Please sir, I want some more." Gruel's reputation, not great to begin with, never recovered. From this delightful substance comes the adjective grueling, describing an experience that's exhausting and punishing. "To get one's gruel" was 1700s slang meaning "to receive one's punishment." Even back then gruel had a bad rap.

Example Sentences

A lot of student interns are passive or introverted, Gruel said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2022

Gruel also warns against line fishing in-coast and on the pier, where areas with lower currents can mean more concentrated contaminants — especially in the weeks and months following any sort of potential contamination event.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2021

“I can get on an airplane and I can fly and eat and do whatever I want,” Mr. Gruel, who has appeared as a Food Network judge, said Thursday.

From Washington Times • Dec. 4, 2020

They say they were pressured into taking part in reflexology sessions, some of them conducted with Ms Gruel.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2017

Gluten Gruel No. 2.—Into a pint of boiling water stir three heaping tablespoonfuls of the prepared gluten.

From Science in the Kitchen. by Kellogg, Mrs. E. E.