grit

1. uncountableA collection of hard small materials, such as dirt, ground stone, debris from sandblasting or other such grinding, or swarf from metalworking.

   The flower beds were white with grit from sand blasting the flagstone walkways.

   1. uncountableSand or a sand–salt mixture spread on wet and, especially, icy roads and footpaths to improve traction.
2. uncountableSmall, hard, inedible particles in food.

   These cookies seem to have grit from nutshells in them.

3. uncountableA measure of the size of abrasive grains, such as those on sandpaper, and thus their relative coarseness or fineness; the smaller the number, the coarser the abrasive: thus, 60 is rough, 600 is fine, and 3000 is ultrafine.

   I need a sheet of 100 grit sandpaper.

4. uncountablegeographyA hard, coarse-grained siliceous sandstone; gritstone. Also, a finer sharp-grained sandstone, e.g., grindstone grit.
5. idiomaticuncountableStrength of mind; courage or fearlessness; fortitude.

   That kid with the cast on his arm has the grit to play dodgeball.

   4 more examples

   They came to a rising ground , not sharp , but long ; and here youth and grit and sober living told more than ever.

   1861, Charles Reade, The Cloister and the Hearth; or, Maid, Wife, and Widow. A Matter-of-Fact Romance., New York, N.Y.: Rudd & Carleton; London: Trübner & Co.

   If you are overcome by a man of grit, he insolently makes you conscious of your own weakness

   1880, Edwin Percy Whipple, Success and Its Conditions

   Although working under very unpleasant conditions they never grumbled, and to the end showed continuous grit; and in addition to this several examples of sheer heroism were displayed.

   1941 April, “Notes and News: Railwaymen and Snow”, in Railway Magazine, page 178

   But what their admirers call grit and critics deem shamelessness can overshadow another essential element of the Clinton school: a willingness to put on the hair shirt of humility to regain power.

   2015 April 15, Jonathan Martin, “For a Clinton, it’s not hard to be humble in an effort to regain power”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 06 Sep 2015

present singular third person grits · participle present gritting · participle past gritted · past gritted

1. ergativetransitiveTo clench (one's teeth), particularly in reaction to pain or anger.

   My teeth gritted as I heard the news.

   2 more examples

   We had no choice but to grit our teeth and get on with it.

   He has a sleeping disorder and grits his teeth.

2. To cover with grit.
3. intransitiveobsoleteTo give forth a grating sound, like sand under the feet; to grate; to grind.

   The sanded floor that grits beneath the tread

   1767, Oliver Goldsmith, An Author's Bedchamber

plural grits

1. plural normallyHusked but unground oats.
2. plural normallyCoarsely ground corn or hominy used as porridge.

   ham and grits

   1 more example

   grits and eggs

plural Grits

1. CanadiangovernmentA member or supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada or one of its provincial wings (except for the Quebec provincial wing).

1. Canadiannot comparablegovernmentOf or belonging to the Liberal Party of Canada.