I. grit 1 /ɡrɪt/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Sense 1-2: Language: Old English ; Origin: greot ]
[ Sense 3: Language: Old English ; Origin: grytt ]
1 . very small pieces of stone or sand:
Make sure both surfaces are free from dust and grit.
The council is responsible for putting grit on icy roads.
2 . informal determination and courage SYN guts
3 . grits American English a type of grain that is roughly crushed and cooked, and often eaten for breakfast
II. grit 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle gritted , present participle gritting ) [transitive]
1 . to scatter grit on a frozen road to make it less slippery
2 . grit your teeth
a) to use all your determination to continue in spite of difficulties:
Just grit your teeth and hang on – it’ll be over soon.
b) to bite your teeth together, especially when you are in pain, angry, or under pressure:
Ben gritted his teeth, hoping Sasha wouldn’t notice his fear.
‘No, that’s alright,’ she said through gritted teeth.