To grind or crush something, especially with teeth or a grinding motion; to crunch.
Possibly from Old English or Middle English, related to grind and crunch, with uncertain ultimate origins. The word likely emerged from onomatopoeia mimicking grinding sounds.
This word is a relic of Middle English that almost disappeared from the language—it survives mainly in regional dialects of England and Scotland, where it's still used for the grinding sound of teeth or gravel underfoot.
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