grit

Definition

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

Etymology

With early modern vowel shortening, from Middle English grete, griet, from Old English grēot, from Proto-West Germanic *greut, from Proto-Germanic *greutą. Compare grist.

Example Sentences

• "The flower beds were white with grit from sand blasting the flagstone walkways."
• "These cookies seem to have grit from nutshells in them."
• "I need a sheet of 100 grit sandpaper."

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