gruel

plural gruels

1. countableuncountableA thin, watery porridge, formerly eaten primarily by the poor and the ill.

   “It’s not that bad,” said Tiger defensively. “The foundlings rarely have to share blankets these days, and the gruel no longer has a consistency thinner than water.

   2011, Jasper Fforde, Song of the Quarkbeast

   2 more examples

   […]her own cook at South End, a young woman hired for the time, who never had been able to understand what she meant by a basin of nice smooth gruel, thin, but not too thin.

   1816, Jane Austen, Emma

   […]Father had one of his awful colds, so Dora persuaded him not to go to London, but to stay cosy and warm in the study, and she made him some gruel. She makes it better than Eliza does; Eliza's gruel is all little lumps, and when you suck them it is dry oatmeal inside.

   1899, E. Nesbit, The Story of the Treasure Seekers

2. countableuncountablePunishment.

   Synonyms: castigation, punition, castigation, chastening, chastisement, correction, punishment, punition

3. countableuncountableSomething that lacks substance.

   thin gruel

4. UScountableobsoleteslanguncountableSentimental poetry.
5. UKcountableslanguncountableSemen.

   Synonyms: ejaculate, spunk, baby batter, baby gravy, balljuice, boy juice, cock juice, cock snot

present singular third person gruels · US participle present grueling · UK participle present gruelling · US participle past grueled · US past grueled · UK participle past gruelled · UK past gruelled

1. transitiveTo exhaust, use up, disable.
2. transitiveTo punish.

   Synonyms: castigate, penalize, amerce, castigate, chasten, chastise, come down on, correct

3. UKslangEjaculate.