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definitions

grits

[grits]
||

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.

RELATED WORDS

perseverance, spunk, toughness, guts, tenacity, fortitude, moxie, spirit, daring, powder, dust, gravel, pebbles, sand, nerve, gameness, spine, backbone, pluck

Nearby words

  1. griswold,
  2. griswold versus connecticut,
  3. grit,
  4. grit one's teeth,
  5. grith,
  6. gritter,
  7. gritti-stokes amputation,
  8. gritting,
  9. gritty,
  10. grivation

Origin of grits

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

grit

[grit]

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

British Dictionary definitions for grits

grits

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

grit

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

Grit

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
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper