King James Bible Dictionary

(Exodus 32:20; Deuteronomy 9:21; Judges 16:21), to crush small (Heb. tahan); to oppress the poor (Isaiah 3:5). The hand-mill was early used by the Hebrews (Numbers 11:8). It consisted of two stones, the upper (Deuteronomy 24:6; 2 Samuel 11:21) being movable and slightly concave, the lower being stationary. The grinders mentioned Ecclesiastes 12:3 are the teeth. (See MILL.)

GRIND, verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive ground. [This word, if n is radical, may be allied to rend; if not, it coincides with grate; to make smooth, as mollis in Latin , allied to molo.]

1. To break and reduce to fine particles or powder by friction; to comminute by attrition; to triturate.

Take the millstones and grind meal. Isaiah 16:1.

We say, to grind meal, but this is an elliptical phrase. The true phrase is, to grind corn to meal.

2. To break and reduce to small pieces by the teeth.

3. To sharpen by rubbing or friction; to wear off the substance of a metallic instrument, and reduce it to a sharp edge by the friction of a stone; as, to grind an ax or scythe.

4. To make smooth; to polish by friction; as, to grind glass.

5. To rub one against another.

Harsh sounds--and the grinding of one stone against another, make a shivering or horror in the body and set the teeth on edge.

6. To oppress by severe exactions; to afflict cruelly; to harass; as, to grind the faces of the poor Isaiah 3:15.

7. To crush in pieces; to ruin. Matthew 21:44.

8. To grate; as grinding pains.

GRIND, verb intransitive To perform the operation of grinding; to move a mill.

1. To be moved or rubbed together, as in the operation of grinding; as the grinding jaws.

2. To be ground or pulverized by friction.

Corn will not grind well before it is dry.

3. To be polished and made smooth by friction. Glass grinds smooth.

4. To be sharpened by grinding. Steel grinds to a fine edge.

GRINDER, noun One that grinds, or moves a mill.

1. The instrument of grinding.

2. A tooth that grinds or chews food; a double tooth; a jaw-tooth.

3. The teeth in general.

See Mill
Mill

[MILL]

GRINDING, participle present tense Reducing to powder by friction; triturating; levitating; chewing.

1. Making sharp; making smooth or polishing by friction.

GRIND'STONE, noun A sandstone used for grinding or sharpening tools.

Stone, used by old writers, is obsolete.