To crush something into powder or small pieces using friction, or to work hard at something repetitively and exhaustingly.
From Old English 'grindan,' related to German 'grund' meaning ground. The word originally described the physical action of crushing grain into flour, then evolved metaphorically to mean tedious work.
Before industrial mills, grinding grain by hand was one of the most time-consuming chores—so 'the grind' became synonymous with backbreaking daily work that never seems to end, which is why we still use it today for boring repetitive tasks.
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