noun
1.
abrasive particles or granules, as of sand or other small, coarse impurities found in the air, food, water, etc.
2.
firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck: She has a reputation for grit and common sense.
3.
a coarse-grained siliceous rock, usually with sharp, angular grains.
4.
British, gravel.
5.
sand or other fine grainy particles eaten by fowl to aid in digestion.
verb (used with object)
6.
to cause to grind or grate together.
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grit
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verb (used without object)
Idioms 7.
to make a scratchy or slightly grating sound, as of sand being walked on; grate.
8.
grit one's teeth, to show tenseness, anger, or determination by or as if by clamping or grinding the teeth together.
Origin:
before 1000; Middle English gret, griet, grit, Old English grēot; cognate with German Griess, Old Norse grjōt pebble, boulder; see grits
before 1000; Middle English gret, griet, grit, Old English grēot; cognate with German Griess, Old Norse grjōt pebble, boulder; see grits
Related forms
grit·less, adjective
grit·ter, noun
Synonyms
2. resolution, fortitude, courage.
2. resolution, fortitude, courage.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To grit
Collins
World English Dictionary
grit (ɡrɪt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | small hard particles of sand, earth, stone, etc |
| 2. | Also called: gritstone any coarse sandstone that can be used as a grindstone or millstone |
| 3. | the texture or grain of stone |
| 4. | indomitable courage, toughness, or resolution |
| 5. | engineering an arbitrary measure of the size of abrasive particles used in a grinding wheel or other abrasive process |
| —vb , grits, gritting, gritted | |
| 6. | to clench or grind together (two objects, esp the teeth) |
| 7. | to cover (a surface, such as icy roads) with grit |
| [Old English grēot; related to Old Norse grjōt pebble, Old High German grioz; see | |
| 'gritless | |
| —adj | |
| Grit (ɡrɪt) | |
| —n, —adj | |
| an informal word for Liberal | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
grit
O.E. greot "sand, dust, earth, gravel," from P.Gmc. *greutan "tiny particles of crushed rock" (cf. O.S. griot, O.Fris. gret, O.N. grjot "rock, stone," Ger. Grieß "grit, sand"), from PIE ghreu- "rub, pound, crush" (cf. Lith. grudas "corn, kernel," O.C.S. gruda "clod"). Sense of "pluck, spirit" first
recorded Amer.Eng. 1808. Gritty in sense of "unpleasant" (of literature, etc.) is 1882, in reference to the sensation of eating gritty bread.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
grit definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
grit
sedimentary rock that consists of angular sand-sized grains and small pebbles. The term is roughly equivalent to the term sandstone (q.v.).
Learn more about grit with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
Through sheer grit and determination, these companies have weathered the recession and they're ready to grow.
Her white blood was strong in her and she had grit and endurance and a vital courage.
Rinse the leeks again, checking between the folds to make sure all the grit is gone.
But this grit in the financial system yields some fiscal pearls.
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