grits

American  

[grits] / grɪts /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. Also called hominy grits.  (especially in Southern cooking) coarsely ground hominy, or white corn, boiled to a thick consistency and then sometimes fried, eaten as a breakfast dish or as a side dish with meat.

2. grain hulled and coarsely ground.

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grits British  

/ ɡrɪts /

plural noun

1. hulled and coarsely ground grain

2. See hominy grits

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Etymology

Origin of grits

First recorded before 900; Middle English grut(t)a, gryttes (plural) “coarse meal, bran,” Old English gryt(t) “dust, meal”; cognate with German Grütze

Compare meaning

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

• hominy vs. grits

Example Sentences

The restaurants served up moderately priced country ham, pancakes, eggs and grits.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ms. Lakshmi serves it on a bed of traditional Southern cheesy grits and suggests chowchow pickles, an old-time relish, as a side.

From The Wall Street Journal

That week, they were going on a surf-and-turf version of shrimp and grits: steak tips, seared shrimp, a lake of cheesy grits and, right on top, a tangle of sweet-savory onions.

From Salon

One of my favorite lazy breakfasts, picked up from childhood summers in the Carolinas, was a bowl of cheesy grits topped with tomato gravy and a lush, freshly burst egg yolk.

From Salon

He loves incorporating greens and, as a Southerner, grits.

From Salon

Related Words

• gruel
• oatmeal
• polenta