Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for grinder. Search instead for grinner.
Synonyms

grinder

American  
[grahyn-der] / ˈgraɪn dər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that grinds.

  2. a kitchen device or appliance for grinding food.

  3. a sharpener of tools.

  4. a molar tooth.

  5. Chiefly New England and Inland North. hero sandwich.

  6. Informal. grinders, the teeth.

grinder British  
/ ˈɡraɪndə /

noun

  1. a person who grinds, esp one who grinds cutting tools

  2. a machine for grinding

  3. a molar tooth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Regionalisms

See hero sandwich.

Etymology

Origin of grinder

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; grind + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Larry Friedman, a lawyer at Barnes, Richardson & Colburn, remembers arguing a case before Eaton over whether an industrial grinder should be deemed a shredder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Quality brew, especially when used with their bean grinder, for a fresh cup of joe that hits exactly how you need it without the fussing.

From Salon • Nov. 20, 2025

The high-pitched sound of an angle grinder sawing through glass echoed through the hall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

“This guy’s just a straight grinder, works at-bats,” general manager Brandon Gomes said after the Dodgers acquired Call from the Washington Nationals in exchange for two pitching prospects.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2025

My aunt turned the long metal handle of the coffee grinder and stared at me.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.