grinder

noun

grind·​er ˈgrīn-dər 

1

a

: molar

b

grinders plural : teeth

2

: one that grinds

3

: a machine or device for grinding

4

: submarine entry 2 sense 2

5

: an athlete who succeeds through hard work and determination rather than exceptional skill

Synonyms

• Cuban sandwich
• hero
• hoagie
• hoagy
• Italian sandwich
• po'boy
• poor boy
• sub
• submarine
• torpedo

Examples of grinder in a Sentence

ordered a meatball grinder from the beach's concession stand

Recent Examples on the Web

Joe, who has previously enjoyed shoving corpses through a meat grinder, finds this repulsive. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025

Make quick vinaigrettes and small-batch sauces with the blending shaft, a soft and fluffy whipped cream with the whisk, or lean on the chopper/grinder attachment for speedier slices and dices right inside the attachable bowl. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025

Heavy excavation machines bash giant concrete blocks into more manageable chunks, before grinders pulverize the material into 1- to 3-inch rocks, which can be recycled. —James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025

Now came the machines—the gig mills with their cold metal rollers and the shearing frames that needed just one man turning a crank, like an organ grinder playing a funeral march for an entire way of life. —John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing grinder

• organ-grinder

Rhymes for grinder

• binder
• blinder
• finder
• kinder
• minder
• pinder
• bookbinder
• factfinder
• pathfinder
• reminder
• sidewinder
• viewfinder

Kids Definition

grinder

noun

grind·​er ˈgrīn-dər 

1

: one that grinds

2

: a large sandwich on a long split roll