meatgrinder

plural meatgrinders · alternative meat grinder · alternative meat-grinder

1. A device for cutting meat into very small pieces.

   Keep your fingers away from the throat of the meatgrinder.

2. informalAn activity with a high casualty or attrition rate, such as a military battle or an occupational or athletic activity.

   The mountainous second day of the race was a real meatgrinder, with 20% of racers dropping out.

   1 more example

   Last year’s lightning advances gave way to local stalemates and a meatgrinder battle for Kobani, where ISIL troops massing to attack the Kurds on the ground made themselves easy targets for the Americans in the air.

   2015 February 11, Sydney Freedberg, 4,817 Targets: How Six Months Of Airstrikes Have Hurt ISIL (Or Not)

3. informalA process that is likely to be injurious in a non-physical way.

   Senate confirmation hearings are a real meatgrinder, discouraging people from government service.

   1 more example

   A world all too ready to swallow Their Kind in its all consuming meat grinder.

   1980 April 19, Andrea Loewenstein, “Random Lust”, in Gay Community News, page 10