Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A revolving stone disk used for grinding, polishing, or sharpening tools.
- noun A millstone.
- idiom (have/keep) To work hard and steadily.
- idiom (put (one's) nose to the grindstone) To work in earnest.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun 1. A stone used in grinding corn; a millstone.
- noun A mill for grinding corn.
- noun A solid wheel of stone mounted on a spindle and turned by a winch-handle, by a treadle, or by machinery, used for grinding, sharpening, or polishing.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A flat, circular stone, revolving on an axle, for grinding or sharpening tools, or shaping or smoothing objects.
- noun to oppress one; to keep one in a condition of servitude.
- noun to set oneself to a long and arduous task.
- noun to continue at a long and arduous task; to apply oneself steadily to one's duties.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An
abrasive wheel forsharpening ,polishing orgrinding .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a revolving stone shaped like a disk; used to grind or sharpen or polish edge tools
Etymologies
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Examples
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ChangeWave keeps its nose to a shorter-term grindstone -- he called the category's ability to grow in the face of a serious economic downturn "astounding."
ARN News 2009
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While Carton declined to comment on smartphones 'long-range prospects -- ChangeWave keeps its nose to a shorter-term grindstone -- he called the category's ability to grow in the face of a serious economic downturn "astounding."
Reseller News 2009
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The grindstone was the kind that operated with a pedal, but the pedal had a tendency to stick.
Comanche Moon Larry McMurtry 1997
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The grindstone was the kind that operated with a pedal, but the pedal had a tendency to stick.
Comanche Moon Larry McMurtry 1997
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The grindstone was the kind that operated with a pedal, but the pedal had a tendency to stick.
Comanche Moon Larry McMurtry 1997
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The grindstone was the kind that operated with a pedal, but the pedal had a tendency to stick.
The Lonesome Dove Series Larry McMurtry 1995
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Juventus director Alessio Secco has told the squad that putting their noses to the grindstone will be a quick fix solution to their problems.
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I think it's a little pompous on your part to judge whether or not strangers at Starbuck's are using Macs to be productive, and your suggestion that all the PC users in Starbucks constantly have their noses to the grindstone is a little laughable.
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This is nothing more than a brainwashing movement supported and funded by corporate titans and bankers to keep employees happily working at the "grindstone" while filling the coffers of the elite.
The Negative Influence of Positive Thinking- The Gurus, Coaches, and Consultants 2009
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We have seen how in those primitive days the earth was spinning around very rapidly; and I have also stated that the earth might at this very critical epoch of its history be compared with a grindstone which is being driven so rapidly that it is on the very brink of rupture.
hernesheir commented on the word grindstone
A Scottish man and a Newcastle grindstone travel all the world over. -- An old saying from Northumberland recorded by Grose in his 1787 A Provincial Glossary.
"A commendable spirit of enterprise and industry industry induces the natives of Scotland to seek their fortunes in all climates and kingdoms under the sun, and Newcastle grindstones, being the best of their kind, are therefore known and carried every where, far and near".
May 3, 2011