grit

[ grit ]
See synonyms for: gritgritsgrittedgritting on Thesaurus.com

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.

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

  2. British. gravel.

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

verb (used with object),grit·ted, grit·ting.
  1. to cause to grind or grate together.

verb (used without object),grit·ted, grit·ting.
  1. to make a scratchy or slightly grating sound, as of sand being walked on; grate.

Idioms about grit

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

Origin of grit

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English gret, griet, grit, Old English grēot; cognate with German Griess, Old Norse grjōt “pebble, boulder”; see grits

Other words for grit

Other words from grit

  • gritless, adjective
  • gritter, noun

Words Nearby grit

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use grit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for grit (1 of 2)

grit

/ (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

  1. the texture or grain of stone

  2. indomitable courage, toughness, or resolution

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

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

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

Origin of grit

1
Old English grēot; related to Old Norse grjōt pebble, Old High German grioz; see great, groats, gruel

Derived forms of grit

  • gritless, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Grit (2 of 2)

Grit

/ (ɡrɪt) /


noun, adjectiveCanadian
  1. an informal word for Liberal

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