Basic+ Word of the Day: grind

grind (verb) past tense: ground

Grind means ‘to reduce to small particles by pounding or crushing.’

• The butcher will grind beef for you if you ask.
• Each time she makes an espresso, the barista grinds coffee beans.

Grind also means ‘to sharpen or make smooth by friction.’

• The hardware store grinds knives.
• The optician ground the new lenses for her glasses.

Common uses

the daily grind: routine. Example: “Wake up, go to work, come home, go to sleep; I’m stuck in the daily grind.”

grind out: to produce in a mechanical way. Example: “The mystery writer grinds out a new book twice a year.”

Did you know?

Did you know that you can grind on a skateboard? Watch this video to learn how.

In pop culture

Do you want to learn a new dance move? Then watch this video to learn how to grind.

There are other meanings of grind.