Grind

Grind, grīnd, v.t. to reduce to powder by friction: to wear down or sharpen by rubbing: to rub together: to oppress or harass: to set in motion by a crank.—v.i. to be moved or rubbed together: to drudge at any tedious task: to read hard:—pr.p. grīnd′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. ground.—n. hard or distasteful work: laborious study for a special examination, &c.—ns. Grind′er, he who, or that which, grinds: a double or jaw tooth that grinds food: a coach or crammer of students for examination: a hard student; Grind′ery, a place where knives, &c., are ground, or where they are sold: shoemakers' materials; Grind′ing, act or process of reducing to powder.—p.adj. harassing.—n. Grind′stone, a circular revolving stone for grinding or sharpening tools.—Keep one's nose to the grindstone, to subject one to severe continuous toil or punishment.—Take a grinder (Dickens), to put the left thumb to the nose, and to work a visionary coffee-mill round it with the right—a gesture of contempt. [A.S. grindan.]