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Synonyms

grinder

American  
[grahyn-der] / ˈgraɪn dər /

noun

  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.

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.

“I had to put the table upside down and use a chisel and grinder to remove as much material as I could. It took us three tries to get the table right.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Electronic tchotchkes are ubiquitous but many people have little or no access to nutritious food or health care as our environment is run through a meat grinder and set on fire.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

Mr De Wet also said Mr Olivier chopped up the hunting rifles with an angle grinder and burnt the wooden parts of the gun.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025

"Who said anything about doing nothing? That's what drives me nuts about talking to you sometimes. You twist everything around and run it through a grinder, and then shoot it back at me."

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements