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grit

(grĭt)

1. Minute rough granules, as of sand or stone.

2. The texture or fineness of sand or stone used in grinding.

3. A coarse hard sandstone used for making grindstones and millstones.

4. Informal Indomitable spirit; pluck.

v. grit·ted, grit·ting, grits

v.tr.

1. To clamp (the teeth) together.

2. To cover or treat with grit.

v.intr.

To make a grinding noise.

[Middle English gret, sand, from Old English grēot.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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