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Synonyms

grinder

American  
[grahyn-der] / ˈgraɪn dər /

noun

  • grinders
    plural
  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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of grinder

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

Vocabulary lists containing grinder

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.

See Examples For:

Traditionally, the beans are ground with a tool resembling a mortar and pestle but, for the sake of speed, Netsi now uses a small electric grinder.

From BBC May 31, 2026

Hamilton coach Elijah Asante said, “Coach Chesney is a grinder and he’s going to find those hidden gems.”

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 28, 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

The high-pitched sound of an angle grinder sawing through glass echoed through the hall.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 31, 2025

Whatever came next was drowned out by the electric grinder.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Generators, metal grinders and backhoes to clear debris are also desperately needed, affected residents say.

From Barron's Jun. 27, 2026

It is unclear if the Lalique salt and pepper grinders were ever found.

From BBC Jun. 23, 2026

Left behind on the street outside the Louvre was the truck, a jerry can, a blowtorch, angle grinders, a walkie-talkie and yellow vests.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 31, 2025

Heavy excavation machines bash giant concrete blocks into more manageable chunks, before grinders pulverize the material into 1- to 3-inch rocks, which can be recycled.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 20, 2025

The transport sphere plowed along the trench, past all the fortified city’s defenses: walls, moats, machicolations, crossbow cannons, drawbridges, bristling spear pits, bladed gates, and giant mechanical grinders.

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

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