v. & n.
--v. (past and past part. ground)
1. a tr. reduce to small particles or powder by crushing esp. by passing through a mill. b intr. (of a mill, machine, etc.) move with a crushing action.
2 a tr. reduce, sharpen, or smooth by friction. b tr. & intr. rub or rub together gratingly (grind one's teeth).
3 tr. (often foll. by down) oppress; harass with exactions (grinding poverty).
4 intr. a (often foll. by away) work or study hard. b (foll. by out) produce with effort (grinding out verses). c (foll. by on) (of a sound) continue gratingly or monotonously.
5 tr. turn the handle of e.g. a coffee-mill, barrel-organ, etc.
6 intr. sl. (of a dancer) rotate the hips.
7 intr. coarse sl. have sexual intercourse.
--n.
1. the act or an instance of grinding.
2 colloq. hard dull work; a laborious task (the daily grind).
3 the size of ground particles.
4 sl. a dancer's rotary movement of the hips.
5 coarse sl. an act of sexual intercourse.
Phrases and idioms:
grind to a halt stop laboriously. ground glass
1. glass made non-transparent by grinding etc.
2 glass ground to a powder.
Derivatives:
grindingly adv.
Etymology: OE grindan, of unkn. orig.