grits

[ grits ]

/ grɪts /

noun (used with a singular or plural verb)

Also called hominy grits. coarsely ground hominy, boiled and sometimes then fried, eaten as a breakfast dish or as a side dish with meats.

grain hulled and coarsely ground.

Nearby words

griswold, griswold versus connecticut, grit, grit one's teeth, grith, grits, gritter, gritti-stokes amputation, gritting, gritty, grivation

Origin of grits

before 900; Middle English gryttes (plural), Old English gryt(t); cognate with German Grütze

Definition for grits (2 of 2)

grit

[ grit ]

/ grɪt /

noun

abrasive particles or granules, as of sand or other small, coarse impurities found in the air, food, water, etc.

firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck: She has a reputation for grit and common sense.

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

British. gravel.

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

verb (used with object), grit·ted, grit·ting.

to cause to grind or grate together.

verb (used without object), grit·ted, grit·ting.

to make a scratchy or slightly grating sound, as of sand being walked on; grate.

Origin of grit

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

SYNONYMS FOR grit

2 resolution, fortitude, courage.

Related formsgrit·less, adjectivegrit·ter, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for grits

The cafeteria style stop is basically a comfort food joint—think baby back ribs, shrimp and grits, and gumbo—done well.
Delayed? The Best Airport Restaurants to Eat at This Thanksgiving|Brandy Zadrozny|November 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Grits Jarvis, his son, who had inherited the talent, was also contraband.
A Far Country, Complete|Winston Churchill
Hulled corn, hominy, and grits, all require prolonged cooking.
Science in the Kitchen.|Mrs. E. E. Kellogg
The Princess laughed with delight and drank the coffee, grits and all.
The Princess Priscilla's Fortnight|Elizabeth von Arnim

It contains in the middle what geologists call flags and grits, but the larger part of it is slates.
Chatterbox, 1905.|Various
Rice and fine hominy (grits) are to be thought of first, as being easily digested and nourishing.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II|Various

British Dictionary definitions for grits (1 of 3)

grits

/ (ɡrɪts) /

pl n

hulled and coarsely ground grain

US See hominy grits

Word Origin for grits

Old English grytt; related to Old High German gruzzi; see great, grit

British Dictionary definitions for grits (2 of 3)

grit

/ (ɡrɪt) /

noun

small hard particles of sand, earth, stone, etc

Also called: gritstone any coarse sandstone that can be used as a grindstone or millstone

the texture or grain of stone

indomitable courage, toughness, or resolution

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

verb grits, gritting or gritted

to clench or grind together (two objects, esp the teeth)

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

Derived Formsgritless, adjective

Word Origin for grit

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

British Dictionary definitions for grits (3 of 3)

Grit

/ (ɡrɪt) /

noun, adjective Canadian

an informal word for Liberal

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

Word Origin and History for grits (1 of 3)

grits

plural of grit "coarsely ground grain," Old English grytt (plural grytta) "coarse meal, groats, grits," from Proto-Germanic *grutja-, from the same root as grit, the two words having influenced one another in sound development.

In American English, corn-based grits and hominy (q.v.) were used interchangeably in Colonial times. Later, hominy meant whole kernels that had been skinned but not ground, but in the U.S. South, hominy meant skinned kernels that could be ground coarsely to make grits. In New Orleans, whole kernels are big hominy and ground kernels little hominy.

Word Origin and History for grits (1 of 3)

grit

Old English greot "sand, dust, earth, gravel," from Proto-Germanic *greutan "tiny particles of crushed rock" (cf. Old Saxon griot, Old Frisian gret, Old Norse grjot "rock, stone," German Grieß "grit, sand"), from PIE *ghreu- "rub, grind" (cf. Lithuanian grudas "corn, kernel," Old Church Slavonic gruda "clod"). Sense of "pluck, spirit" first recorded American English, 1808.

Word Origin and History for grits (2 of 3)

grit

"make a grating sound," 1762, probably from grit (n.). Related: Gritted; gritting.

grits

noun (used with a singular or plural verb)

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of grits

Definition for grits (2 of 2)

grit

noun

verb (used with object), grit·ted, grit·ting.

verb (used without object), grit·ted, grit·ting.

Origin of grit

Examples from the Web for grits

British Dictionary definitions for grits (1 of 3)

grits

pl n

Word Origin for grits

British Dictionary definitions for grits (2 of 3)

grit

noun

verb grits, gritting or gritted

Word Origin for grit

British Dictionary definitions for grits (3 of 3)

Grit

noun, adjective Canadian

Word Origin and History for grits (1 of 3)

grits

Word Origin and History for grits (1 of 3)

grit

Word Origin and History for grits (2 of 3)

grit