grind

1. to wear, smooth, or sharpen by abrasion or friction; whet:

   to grind a lens.

2. to reduce to fine particles, as by pounding or crushing; bray, triturate, or pulverize.

   Synonyms: pound, comminute, powder, crush

3. to oppress, torment, or crush:

   to grind minimum-wage employees.

   Synonyms: maltreat, persecute, afflict, plague

4. to rub harshly or gratingly; grate together; grit:

   to grind one's teeth.

   Synonyms: abrade

5. to operate by turning a crank:

   to grind a hand organ.

6. to produce by crushing or abrasion:

   to grind flour.

7. Slang. to annoy; irritate; irk:

   It really grinds me when he's late.

1. to perform the operation of reducing to fine particles.
2. to rub harshly; grate.
3. to be or become ground.
4. to be polished or sharpened by friction.
5. Informal. to work or study laboriously (often followed by away ):

   He was grinding away at his algebra.

6. Digital Technology. (in a video game) to perform a monotonous task repeatedly in order to advance a character to a higher level or rank:

   You have to grind for hours before you can embark on the main story mission.

7. Slang. (in a dance) to rotate the hips in a suggestive manner. Compare bump ( def 12 ).

1. the act of grinding.
2. a grinding sound.
3. a grade of particle fineness into which a substance is ground:

   The coffee is available in various grinds for different coffee makers.

4. laborious, usually uninteresting work:

   Copying all the footnotes was a grind.

5. Informal. an excessively diligent student.
6. Slang. a dance movement in which the hips are rotated in a suggestive or erotic manner. Compare bump ( def 21 ).

verb phrase

1. 1. to produce in a routine or mechanical way:

      to grind out magazine stories.

   2. to extinguish by rubbing the lighted end against a hard surface:

      to grind out a cigarette.