grind

When smashing something into small pieces, you can use the word "grind." Grinding something often involves the use of a machine; however, it’s possible to use your hands as well. The past tense and adjective form of this word is "ground."

This machine is used for grinding beef. A hamburger is made from ground beef. (The word "ground" is an adjective.)
This is used for grinding coffee beans. Freshly ground coffee beans smell really good. I ground some coffee earlier this morning using a coffee grinder.
You can grind small amounts of food in a mortar and pestle.
He’s grinding his axe to make it sharper.

There are other uses for this word:

• My car is making a grinding noise near the front tire.
• Andrea has a bad habit of grinding her teeth at night.
• The students are grinding away at their homework. (grind away = work hard)
• Darryl is tired of the daily grind. (The "daily grind" is a job or a routine.)

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This page was first published on July 12, 2012. It was updated on August 8, 2015.