ˈgris]əl sometimes -iz] noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English gristil, from Old English gristle; akin to Old English grost gristle, Old Frisian & Middle Low German gristel, and probably to Old English grindan to grind — more at grind
1. : cartilage ; broadly : tough cartilaginous, tendinous, or fibrous matter especially in table meats
2. obsolete : a young or delicate person visualized as having the bones soft and cartilaginous and not yet hardened into bone
3. : strength of character : backbone
a hardworking man with some gristle — Erskine Caldwell