grind

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun an insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or boringly studious
  2. noun the grade of particle fineness to which a substance is ground
  3. noun hard monotonous routine work

Etymology

From Middle English grynden, from Old English grindan, from Proto-West Germanic *grindan, from Proto-Germanic *grindaną. Cognate with Saterland Frisian gríende, griene (“to grind, mill”), Dutch grinden (“to grind”, rare) and grind (“gravel, shingle”), Albanian grind (“to brawl, fight”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

swot, nerd, wonk, dweeb

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