Grist

//ɡɹɪst// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Grain that is to be ground in a mill. countable, uncountable

    "That it will, however, cause the subscribers to wish, in their minds, for many oaths to fly about, which is a heinous crime, and to lay stratagems to try the patience of men of all sorts; to put them upon the swearing strain, in order to bring grist to their own mill, which is a crime still more enormous; and that therefore, for fear of these evil consequences, the passing of such an act is not consistent with the really extraordinary and tender conscience of a true modern politician."

  2. 2
    grain intended to be or that has been ground wordnet
  3. 3
    A group of bees. countable, obsolete, uncountable
  4. 4
    Supply; provision. colloquial, countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "Matter, as wise logicians say, / Cannot without a form subsist; / And form, say I, as well as they, / Must fail if matter brings no grist."

  5. 5
    A given size of rope, common grist being a rope three inches in circumference, with twenty yarns in each of the three strands. countable, uncountable
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  1. 6
    Ellipsis of grist for the mill. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, figuratively, uncountable

    "The judge needed a case with the potential for great emotional impact to gain media coverage for his political career. He was running for judgeship on the Nevada Supreme Court. Nicky and I were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We were available, vulnerable, and expendable for political grist."

Verb
  1. 1
    To grind in a mill. transitive

    "[…] and another mill is erecting on the same stream near Sparrow Lake, to which a run of stones for gristing will be added."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English grist, gryst, from Old English grist, gyrst (“the action of grinding, corn for grinding, gnashing”), of obscure origin: possibly from a pre-Germanic substrate language, or from a derivative of Proto-Germanic *gredaną (“to crunch”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gʰer- (“to rub, grind”). Cognate with Old Saxon gristgrimmo (“gnashing of the teeth”), German Griesgram (“a grumbler, a grouch, peevishness, misery”), Old English gristel (“gristle”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English grist, gryst, from Old English grist, gyrst (“the action of grinding, corn for grinding, gnashing”), of obscure origin: possibly from a pre-Germanic substrate language, or from a derivative of Proto-Germanic *gredaną (“to crunch”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gʰer- (“to rub, grind”). Cognate with Old Saxon gristgrimmo (“gnashing of the teeth”), German Griesgram (“a grumbler, a grouch, peevishness, misery”), Old English gristel (“gristle”).

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