- present tense form of grit (3rd person singular).
grits
Americannoun
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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.
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grain hulled and coarsely ground.
plural noun
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hulled and coarsely ground grain
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See hominy grits
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
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Explanation
Grits are a savory dish made of ground cornmeal. You can order grits with your eggs at the diner, or try shrimp and grits for dinner. While grits are most popular in the southern United States, they've become more common in other places, particularly as a breakfast dish. Grits, unlike polenta, mash, and other soft, corn-based foods, are made from hominy, a type of corn that's soaked in an alkaline solution before being ground. This traditional Native American dish was passed along to southern colonists in the 17th century. Grits are so popular in the South that the region is sometimes called "the grits belt."
Vocabulary lists containing grits
World Cuisine - Introductory
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World Cuisine - Middle School and High School
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The Color Purple
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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.
The corn ground at the Old Mill is Tennessee-grown, never genetically modified, and no harsh chemicals or additives are added to the cornmeal and grits.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
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 ● Oct. 10, 2025
My husband, an omnivore, thinks there is nothing finer than this very gravy on top of his favorite breakfast bowl that begins with a hefty serving of grits topped with perfectly cooked, over-medium, fried eggs.
From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2025
Dig into tamale waffles, topped with shredded beef and two eggs or rich, cheesy shrimp and grits.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 1, 2024
She helped herself to white meat and gravy and grits and a few raisins and mixed them up together on her plate.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
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